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STMicroelectronics N.V. reported U.S. GAAP financial results for the first quarter ended March 30, 2024. ST reported first quarter net revenues of $3.47 billion, gross margin of 41.7%, operating margin of 15.9%, and net income of $513 million or $0.54 diluted earnings per share. Jean-Marc Chery, ST President & CEO, commented:
- “Q1 net revenues and gross margin both came in below the midpoint of our business outlook range, driven by lower revenues in Automotive and Industrial, partially offset by higher revenues in Personal Electronics.”
- “On a year-over-year basis, Q1 net revenues decreased 18.4%, operating margin decreased to 15.9% from 28.3% and net income decreased 50.9% to $513 million.”
- “During the quarter, Automotive semiconductor demand slowed down compared to our expectations, entering a deceleration phase, while the ongoing Industrial correction accelerated.”
- “Our second quarter business outlook, at the mid-point, is for net revenues of $3.2 billion, decreasing yearover-year by 26.0% and decreasing sequentially by 7.6%; gross margin is expected to be about 40%.”
- “We will now drive the Company based on a revised plan for FY24 revenues in the range of $14 billion to $15 billion. Within this plan, we expect a gross margin in the low 40’s.”
- “We plan to maintain our Net Capex plan for FY24 at about $2.5 billion focusing on our strategic manufacturing initiatives.”
Original – STMicroelectronics
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Renesas Electronics Corporation announced consolidated financial results in accordance with IFRS for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Summary of Consolidated Financial Results (Note 1)
Summary of Consolidated Financial Results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (Non-GAAP basis) (Note 2)
Three months ended March 31, 2024 Billion yen % of Revenue Revenue 351.8 100.0 Gross profit 199.3 56.7 Operating profit 113.5 32.3 Profit attributable to owners of parent 105.9 30.1 EBITDA (Note 3) 133.8 38.0 Summary of Consolidated Financial Results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (IFRS basis)
Three months ended March 31, 2024 Billion yen % of Revenue Revenue 351.8 100.0 Gross profit 197.5 56.1 Operating profit 77.8 22.1 Profit attributable to owners of parent 79.9 22.7 EBITDA (Note 3) 125.7 35.7 Reconciliation of Non-GAAP gross profit to IFRS gross profit and Non-GAAP operating profit to IFRS operating profit
(Billion yen)
Three months ended March 31, 2024 Non-GAAP gross profit
Non-GAAP gross margin199.3
56.7%Amortization of purchased intangible assets and depreciation of property, plant and equipment (0.3) Stock-based compensation (0.5) Other reconciliation items in non-recurring
expenses and adjustments (Note 4)(1.1) IFRS gross profit
IFRS gross margin197.5
56.1%Non-GAAP operating profit
Non-GAAP operating margin113.5
32.3%Amortization of purchased intangible assets and depreciation of property, plant and equipment (27.6) Stock-based compensation (5.6) Other reconciliation items in non-recurring expenses and adjustments (Note 4) (2.5) IFRS operating profit
IFRS operating margin77.8
22.1%Note 1: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100 million yen.
Note 2: Non-GAAP figures are calculated by removing or adjusting non-recurring items and other adjustments from GAAP (IFRS) figures following a certain set of rules. The Group believes non-GAAP measures provide useful information in understanding and evaluating the Group’s constant business results.
Note 3: Operating profit + Depreciation and amortization.
Note 4: “Other reconciliation items in non-recurring expenses and adjustments” includes the non-recurring items related to acquisitions and other adjustments as well as non-recurring profits or losses the Group believes to be applicable.
Original – Renesas Electronics
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Texas Instruments Incorporated reported first quarter revenue of $3.66 billion, net income of $1.11 billion and earnings per share of $1.20. Earnings per share included a 10-cent benefit for items that were not in the company’s original guidance.
Regarding the company’s performance and returns to shareholders, Haviv Ilan, TI’s president and CEO, made the following comments:
- “Revenue decreased 16% from the same quarter a year ago and 10% sequentially, as revenue declined across all end markets.
- “Our cash flow from operations of $6.3 billion for the trailing 12 months again underscored the strength of our business model, the quality of our product portfolio and the benefit of 300mm production. Free cash flow for the same period was $940 million.
- “Over the past 12 months we invested $3.7 billion in R&D and SG&A, invested $5.3 billion in capital expenditures and returned $4.8 billion to owners.
- “TI’s second quarter outlook is for revenue in the range of $3.65 billion to $3.95 billion and earnings per share between $1.05 and $1.25. We continue to expect our effective tax rate to be about 13%.”
Free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, is cash flow from operations less capital expenditures.
Earnings summary
(In millions, except per-share amounts) Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Change Revenue $ 3,661 $ 4,379 (16) % Operating profit $ 1,286 $ 1,934 (34) % Net income $ 1,105 $ 1,708 (35) % Earnings per share $ 1.20 $ 1.85 (35) % Cash generation
Trailing 12 Months (In millions) Q1 2024 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Change Cash flow from operations $ 1,017 $ 6,277 $ 7,736 (19) % Capital expenditures $ 1,248 $ 5,337 $ 3,336 60 % Free cash flow $ (231) $ 940 $ 4,400 (79) % Free cash flow % of revenue 5.6 % 22.6 % Cash return
Trailing 12 Months (In millions) Q1 2024 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Change Dividends paid $ 1,183 $ 4,615 $ 4,359 6 % Stock repurchases $ 3 $ 193 $ 3,129 (94) % Total cash returned $ 1,186 $ 4,808 $ 7,488 (36) % Original – Texas Instruments
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Aehr Test Systems announced financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2024 ended February 29, 2024.
Fiscal Third Quarter Financial Results:
- Net revenue was $7.6 million, compared to $17.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- GAAP net loss was $(1.5) million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $4.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- Non-GAAP net loss, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, was $(0.9) million, or $(0.03) per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $4.7 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- Bookings were $24.5 million for the quarter.
- Backlog as of February 29, 2024 was $20 million.
- Total cash and cash equivalents as of February 29, 2024 were $47.6 million, compared to $50.5 million at November 30, 2023.
Fiscal First Nine Months Financial Results:
- Net revenue was $49.6 million, compared to $42.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- GAAP net income was $9.3 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $8.4 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- Non-GAAP net income was $11.0 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, compared to $10.5 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- Cash provided by operations was $0.5 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.
An explanation of the use of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of Aehr’s non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in the accompanying tables.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented:
“As we noted in our preliminary earnings release in March, our third quarter results reflect delays in wafer level burn-in system orders for silicon carbide semiconductor devices used in electric vehicles. Due to this, we had revised our guidance for our fiscal 2024 full year ending May 31, 2024 to be greater than $65 million in total revenue and net income of at least $11 million, which we are reiterating today. We still expect to finish this fiscal year with annual revenue that is near or above our full year record.“Last week we announced an initial order for our FOX-NP solution from a new customer that is a multi-billion dollar per year global semiconductor company, and is entering the silicon carbide market to address several applications that include automotive, industrial, and electrification infrastructure. This is our third straight new customer for silicon carbide that is primarily focused on applications other than electric vehicles, expanding our opportunity within silicon carbide beyond electric vehicles.
“We are still in continued engagements up to and including on-wafer evaluations with well over a dozen silicon carbide suppliers that are focusing on both electric vehicles and other applications and are forecasting production needs for wafer level test and burn-in of their devices with decision timelines that spread out over the next year. We are focused on the qualification process with as many new customers as possible, as once we have demonstrated our FOX wafer level test and burn-in solution using their own wafers, we have not yet lost a potential customer.
“Our discussions with customers indicate that the key markets Aehr is addressing for semiconductor wafer level test and burn-in have significant growth opportunities that will expand this year and throughout this decade, and we are seeing increased customer engagement in each of these markets. We have also seen a recent strengthening in the silicon carbide market for electric vehicles outside the US in what appears to be a shift in the market share of electric vehicle suppliers. This includes Asia where we recently had extensive and very productive and positive visits with a significant number of silicon carbide suppliers and electric vehicle suppliers that we will provide additional details on during our earnings call.
“According to many market forecasts, including the Semiconductor Industry Association, the semiconductor industry is expected to grow from $600 billion in 2022 to over $1 trillion at or around 2030. This acceleration is coming from mega market drivers including artificial intelligence (AI), green energy and decarbonization, and IoT-based digital transformation. Increased reliability concerns about semiconductors, a growing number of mission critical applications, and more multi-chip modules or heterogeneous integration with multiple devices being assembled in a single package are driving the need for wafer level burn-in. At semiconductor industry conferences around the world, we are seeing an increased focus on test and burn-in moving to wafer level before these devices are put into multi-chip packages and modules.
“These favorable macro trends are driving the business that drives Aehr Test and include:
- silicon carbide power devices going into high-density modules for power conversion in electric vehicles;
- gallium nitride power semiconductors going into automotive, solar, and other mission critical industrial applications;
- silicon photonics integrated circuits being put into transceivers for data center infrastructure and optical chip-to-chip communication of CPU, GPU, and AI processors;
- memory devices for solid state disk drives used in enterprise and data storage or for AI processors.
“Our continued investments in the FOX platform like the new 3.5 kW per wafer FOX-XP multi-wafer production system we began shipping last month also position us well to address the requirements of other new market segments that we believe we will be able to discuss over the next several months.
“As we head toward fiscal 2025, we are encouraged by our increasing engagements with current and potential customers and the long-term growth opportunities of all these markets.”
Fiscal 2024 Financial Guidance:
For the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, Aehr is reiterating its previously provided guidance for total revenue of greater than $65 million and GAAP net income of approximately $11 million or more, or $0.38 per diluted share.Original – Aehr Test Systems
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CVD Equipment Corporation announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Manny Lakios, President and CEO of CVD Equipment Corporation, commented, “Fourth quarter 2023 revenue was $4.1 million, down significantly versus the prior year period, as our business continues to experience fluctuations in revenue given the nature of the emerging growth end markets we serve. While we are disappointed with both our fourth quarter and full year performance, we’ll stay the course on our strategy to return to consistent profitability, with a focus on growth and return on investment.”
Mr. Lakios added, “Our primary goal is to expand penetration of our equipment solutions into high power electronics, battery material, aerospace and industrial applications. To this end, I am very pleased to announce that we started off 2024 with several key new order wins. First, we successfully penetrated a second PVT equipment customer, with an evaluation order for our newly launched PVT200 system used to grow 200 mm silicon carbide crystals. This represents an important milestone for CVD, with potential follow-on production orders should our equipment effectively meet the customers’ needs. Second, we received a $10 million multisystem order for a SiC CVD coating reactor from an industrial customer, which will be used to deposit a silicon carbide protective coating on OEM components. We are encouraged by these orders, as we continue to make investments in both research and development and sales and marketing, including direct engagement with multiple potential customers, focused on our key markets.”
Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Performance
- Revenue of $4.1 million, down $3.1 million or 43.2% year over year primarily due to lower system revenues.
- Gross profit margin percentage was a negative 8.5% due to a large contract that experienced significant cost overruns during the quarter.
- Operating loss of $2.5 million.
- Net loss of $2.3 million or $0.33 basic and diluted share, compared to a net income of $1.5 million or $0.23 per basic and diluted share during the prior year fourth quarter. Net income in 2022 included $1.5 million of other income related to the recognition of Employee Retention Credits related to fiscal 2021.
- Cash and cash equivalents of $14.0 million as of December 31, 2023.
Full Year 2023 Financial Performance
- Revenue of $24.1 million, down $1.7 million or 6.6% year over year primarily due to the disposition of Tantaline and the wind down of MesoScribe’s operations.
- Our gross profit margin percentage was 21.0% in 2023 as compared to 25.7% in the prior year due to a large contract in 2023 that experienced significant cost overruns and other higher margin system contracts in 2022.
- Operating loss of $4.9 million.
- Net loss of $4.2 million or $0.62 basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.2 million or $0.03 per basic and diluted share in the prior year. Net loss in 2022 included $1.5 million of other income related to the recognition of Employee Retention Credits.
Fourth Quarter 2023 Operational Performance
- Orders for the fourth quarter were $5.8 million driven by continued demand in the aerospace sector and in our SDC segment for gas delivery equipment.
- Received a $2.1 million system order in the aerospace sector that will be delivered over the next 12 months.
- Received a $1.0 million order in our SDC segment for gas delivery equipment.
- During the fourth quarter, we developed a plan to reduce our operating costs to be consistent with current customer demand. This resulted in a reduction in our work force in early January 2024. We continue to evaluate opportunities to reduce our operating costs.
Full Year 2023 Operational Performance
- Booking of new orders from customers was $25.8 million, representing a decrease of approximately 22.1% compared to 2022 bookings of $33.1 million. The decline in bookings was related to large orders of PVT150 systems that were received in 2022.
- Backlog as of December 31, 2023 of $18.4 million, an increase from $17.8 million from the prior year end.
Original – CVD Equipment
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Aehr Test Systems announced preliminary financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2024 ended February 29, 2024. Preliminary results reflect delays in wafer level burn-in system orders for semiconductor devices used in electric vehicles that have created a short-term gap in revenue and profitability. Additionally, Aehr provided updated revenue guidance for its full fiscal year ending May 31, 2024.
For the fiscal third quarter ended February 29, 2024, Aehr expects:
- Revenue of approximately $7.6 million
- GAAP net loss of approximately $1.5 million to $1.8 million, or $0.05 to $0.06 per diluted share
- Non-GAAP net loss of approximately $0.9 million to $1.2 million, or $0.03 to $0.04 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation
- Bookings of $24.5 million
- Backlog as of February 29, 2024, of $20 million
For the fiscal 2024 full year ending May 31, 2024, Aehr expects:
- Total revenue of at least $65 million
- GAAP net income of approximately $11 million or more, or $0.38 per diluted share
- Non-GAAP net income of approximately $14 million or more, or $0.48 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation
An explanation of the use of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of Aehr’s non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures will be included when Aehr releases its full financial results for the fiscal 2024 third quarter on April 9, 2024.
Aehr Test Systems President and CEO Gayn Erickson commented: “As we discussed in our second quarter earnings call, we had seen several push outs of forecasted orders by current and new customers that impacted our fiscal year revenue. We believe that this was due to two key factors. There is clearly softness in the overall semiconductor capital spending, particularly in automotive applications, related to a glut in inventory driving down near-term orders to these companies and has caused them to push out capital spending and drive cost reductions. Multiple companies including the companies we had expected orders from have publicly discussed inventory related headwinds in their public earnings calls and press releases. In addition, we have seen specific shifts in order timing of our equipment used for wafer level test and burn-in of silicon carbide power semiconductors used in electric vehicles. In just the last two weeks of the quarter, we saw delays in orders for silicon carbide systems with customer-requested ship dates within the quarter as well as a last-minute push out by a customer of a system in our backlog. The net effect of this was a significant shift in revenues out of the third and fourth quarters. Until this time, we had been hearing from those customers that their silicon carbide-based capital investments were not being impacted.
“It is now clear that the recent overall softness in semiconductors and the impact of shifts in electric vehicle introductions and ramps are impacting our bookings and revenue forecasts more than we understood only two months ago at our last earnings call. We now expect this to last for another quarter or two before the orders resume based on the latest roll up of direct forecasts from over a dozen silicon carbide companies. We are now forecasting revenue for the full fiscal year to be $65 million or more, representing revenue of at least $15.4 million in our fiscal fourth quarter. We still expect to finish the year with near or above record annual revenue for the year.
“Our discussions with customers indicate to us that the key markets Aehr is addressing for semiconductor wafer level test and burn-in have significant long-term growth opportunities that will continue to expand throughout this decade. Despite what we believe are temporary delays in current and new customer orders, we believe Aehr will experience significant order, revenue, and earnings growth from these market opportunities. Our unique, proprietary wafer level test and burn-in offering for semiconductors addresses the need for the critical reliability testing and screening of semiconductors used in the worldwide electrification infrastructure, battery and hybrid electric vehicles, data and telecommunications and data storage, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence processors and communications chips, and in the large and growing semiconductor memory market. We look forward to discussing the impact and timing of these markets and the increase in customer engagements in all these markets on our earnings call planned for April 9th.”
The foregoing preliminary financial information reflects management’s current views with respect to the Company’s financial results. These preliminary results remain subject to the completion of normal quarter-end accounting procedures and closing adjustments. Aehr plans to release its full financial results for the fiscal 2024 third quarter on April 9, 2024, and will provide the time and conference call details in a later press release. No independent registered public accounting firm has reviewed, examined, or performed any procedures with respect to, nor have they expressed any form of assurance on, these preliminary estimated results.
Original – Aehr Test Systems
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centrotherm international AG published preliminary, unaudited figures for the 2023 financial year in an ad hoc announcement. Accordingly, the Management Board anticipates total operating performance of around EUR 195 million with consolidated revenue of over EUR 150 million, and consequently lower total operating performance than forecast (forecast: EUR 220 million to EUR 260 million).
In contrast, EBITDA is expected to reach the forecast of a positive EBITDA in the low double-digit million range at EUR 19 million. At around EUR 270 million, the Group’s incoming orders will also be within the forecast range of EUR 250 million to EUR 350 million. The order backlog as at December 31, 2023 is expected to total around EUR 540 million.
Based on these positive preliminary business figures for 2023, the Executive Board believes that its strategy has been confirmed overall and has therefore decided today to examine strategic financing options. These options are aimed at further strengthening the company’s financial power in order to accelerate its continued growth and further strengthen its market position.
To this end, investments, particularly in research & development, the expansion of the product portfolio and in the global service network and customer service, are to be significantly increased. The possible financing options to be examined by the Management Board include, in particular, taking on a new strategic investor, carrying out capital increases, raising debt capital and issuing hybrid financial instruments such as convertible bonds or bonds with warrants.
Jan von Schuckmann, CEO of centrotherm international AG: “We are convinced that the potential expansion of our financial leeway can provide a strong new impetus for centrotherm’s future development, and that we can raise our innovative strength and market position to a new level. The timing for this is ideal to set the strategic course for an even stronger centrotherm at an early stage. This is particularly important for the sustainable success of our company and its employees in light of the anticipated global market growth and competitive environment.”
In recent years, centrotherm has successfully established itself as a technology provider and supplier of production solutions to leading manufacturers in both the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. The product portfolio was significantly expanded as part of the sustainable diversification strategy. As a consequence, centrotherm is now the market leader with its product portfolio for high-temperature processes for silicon carbide wafers.
Its customer base includes leading global manufacturers in the semiconductor industry. The high demand for sensors and microelectronic components that are used in renewable energies, e-mobility and artificial intelligence applications are key drivers of the positive business trend. centrotherm aims to consistently continue its growth, and to exploit the diverse opportunities arising from its core expertise in thermal production solutions to the best possible extent.
Original – centrotherm international
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Siltronic AG closed the 2023 financial year with a solid performance despite difficult conditions, confirming the preliminary figures announced at the beginning of February. The company achieved sales of EUR 1,513.8 million (2022: EUR 1,805.3 million) and EBITDA of EUR 433.9 million (2022: adjusted EUR 621.6 million).
Thanks to stable sales prices, the EBITDA margin remained at a healthy level of 28.7 percent (2022: adjusted 34.4 percent). The declines are due to significantly weaker demand, mainly as a result of increased inventories in the value chain.
These will also characterize the financial year 2024. As a result, wafer demand is expected to remain weak, particularly in the first half of the year. Under these conditions, sales and EBITDA margin, before ramp cost, are expected to be in the region of the previous year. The ramp of the new 300 mm fab in Singapore will burden the margin by up to three percentage points compared to 2023.
“We continue to see strong growth for our wafer sales in the mid-term, driven by megatrends. However, 2023 and to some extent 2024 will be impacted by increased inventories in the value chain. The dynamic development of Artificial Intelligence will lead to significantly higher demand for wafers. Thanks to our new 300 mm fab in Singapore, we are prepared for this and expect sales to increase to more than EUR 2.2 billion and the EBITDA margin to rise to the high 30’s by 2028,” comments Dr. Michael Heckmeier, CEO of Siltronic AG.
Business development in 2023 – solid in a difficult environment
Group sales decreased by 16.1 percent to EUR 1,513.8 million in 2023 – the guidance was minus 15 to 17 percent. This was due to the lower wafer area sold. Average selling prices in euro remained stable compared to 2022.
Cost of sales decreased by 4.1 percent to EUR 1,141.6 million and therefore less than the decrease in sales. This was due to increased depreciation and amortization, higher cost, in particular for raw materials and supplies, and lower fixed cost dilution as a result of the lower wafer area sold. As a result, the gross margin declined from 34.1 percent to 24.6 percent.
In order to mitigate risks from exchange rate developments, Siltronic performs currency hedging measures, which resulted in a net income from exchange rate effects of EUR 16.5 million in 2023, after expenses of EUR 21.0 million in 2022.
In the reporting year, Siltronic generated an EBITDA of EUR 433.9 million (2022: EUR 671.6 million, adjusted EUR 621.6 million) and an EBITDA margin of 28.7 percent (2022: 37.2 percent, adjusted 34.4 percent) – the guidance was 28 to 30 percent. As with the gross margin, lower fix cost dilution and cost increases were the main reasons for the lower EBITDA margin. EBIT of EUR 231.3 million was also well below the previous year’s level (EUR 495.6 million, adjusted EUR 445.6 million) due to higher depreciation as a result of significantly higher investment activity.
The Group’s tax rate was 13 percent in the reporting year (2022: 11 percent), resulting in a net profit of EUR 201.3 million in 2023 (2022: EUR 434.4 million). Of this, EUR 184.4 million (previous year: EUR 390.6 million) are attributable to the shareholders of Siltronic AG. Earnings per share were EUR 6.15 compared to EUR 13.02 in 2022.
Net cash flow development characterized by high investments
In the past financial year, Siltronic made net payments of EUR 1,112.1 million for capex including intangible assets. These were primarily related to the construction of the new 300 mm fab in Singapore and the expansion of the crystal pulling hall in Freiberg. High payments could not be fully financed from cash flow from operating activities like in 2022. As a result, free cash flow decreased to EUR -624.2 million and net cash flow to EUR 663.5 million.
Statement of financial position remains healthy
As of December 31, 2023, total assets amounted to EUR 4,504.9 million (previous year: EUR 4,050.7 million) with a significant increase in property, plant and equipment. As planned, the high level of capex led to a significant decrease in cash and cash equivalents and financial investments.
Due to the negative free cash flow and the dividend of EUR 90.0 million paid in 2023, Siltronic had net financial debt of EUR 355.7 million as of December 31, 2023 (2022: net financial assets of EUR 373.6 million). As equity increased only slightly year-on-year, the equity ratio decreased to 46.6 percent, compared to 51.0 percent at the end of 2022.
Dividend proposal of EUR 1.20 per share for the financial year 2023
In view of the persistently difficult market situation, the Executive Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting on May 13, 2024, to pay a dividend of EUR 1.20 per share for the financial year 2023, corresponding to a payout ratio of approximately 20 percent of the consolidated net profit attributable to Siltronic shareholders.
This corresponds to a dividend payment of EUR 36.0 million. At the same time Siltronic confirms its dividend policy for the future, according to which approximately 40 percent of the consolidated net profit attributable to the shareholders of Siltronic AG, as determined in accordance with IFRS, will be distributed. The upper limit remains unchanged at EUR 3.00 per dividend-bearing share.
Outlook for 2024 characterized by weak demand, especially in the first half of the year
As a result of the continued weak demand for silicon wafers, the Executive Board expects sales in 2024 to be the region of the previous year. The first six months of 2024 are expected to be the most affected by delivery postponements, so that sales for this reporting period are expected to be at the level of the second half of 2023. The EBITDA margin, before ramp cost, will also be in the region of the previous year. Due to the ramp of the new 300 mm fab in Singapore the margin will be reduced by up to three percentage points compared to 2023. Ramp cost mainly comprise energy, material and labor costs.
The guidance is based on a EUR/US dollar exchange rate of 1.10. On a positive note, average selling prices are expected to remain stable. The Executive Board expects energy and material cost (before ramp cost) to be lower in 2024 than in the previous year. However, the positive effect will be compensated by rising labor tariffs and a lower result from currency hedging compared to the previous year. Due to the high level of capex in recent years, depreciation and amortization will almost double compared to 2023. As a result, EBIT will be significantly lower than last year.
Capex will decrease to below EUR 600 million compared to the record level of EUR 1,316 million in the previous year. As a result, the company expects a significant improvement in net cash flow, which will nevertheless remain significantly negative.
Growth targets until 2028 confirmed
The Executive Board confirms the mid-term targets for the period up to financial year 2028, as communicated in November 2023, which include a significant increase in sales to more than EUR 2.2 billion and an improvement in the EBITDA margin to the high 30’s. The targets are driven by the increasing relevance of global megatrends with a strong increase in demand for semiconductors and thus for wafers. The improvement in the Group’s profitability will primarily be driven by the expected volume growth and a higher cost efficiency.
Siltronic will use its expected future cash flows primarily for further organic growth, to strengthen its innovative strength and to reduce debt.
Original – Siltronic
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Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023.
YJ Kim, Magnachip’s Chief Executive Officer commented, “As we reflect on the past year and look ahead, we’re shaping our future with the transformation of our business. First, we have shifted our Display business to be laser-focused on the burgeoning OLED market in China and our efforts there are already showing promising results. We now have two design-wins and a dedicated team on the ground to help build on this momentum. Additionally, we are working to optimize our Gumi Fab to transition from lower-margin Transitional Foundry Services to higher-margin Power products. Finally, we’ve restructured our company to streamline operations, enhance shareholder value and increase transparency for our investors with the completion of our legal separation of historical Display and Power businesses into MSS and PAS.”
YJ continued, “Looking ahead, for full year 2024, we currently expect double-digit revenue growth in both the newly organized MSS and PAS businesses. We currently expect total consolidated company revenue for full year 2024 to remain relatively flat to slightly up due to the phase-out of Transitional Foundry Services. We also anticipate PAS gross margin to be challenged during the transition period while we convert the Transitional Foundry Services capacity to Power capacity, but we are committed to navigating this period with a clear focus on long-term value creation for shareholders.”
Financial Highlights
- Q4 revenue of $50.8 million was near the low-end of our guidance range.
- Q4 gross profit margin was 22.7%, near the low-end of our guidance range.
- Ended Q4 with no debt and cash of $158.1 million.
- Repurchased approximately $8.2 million of stock during the quarter.
- Full-year revenue of $230.1 million decreased 31.9% YoY.
- Full-year gross profit margin was 22.4%, down 760 bps YoY.
Operational Highlights
- Secured 1st design-win and began initial shipment in Q4 for first generation OLED DDIC for after-service market.
- Secured 2nd design-win following quarter close with leading Chinese smartphone OEM for spring launch.
- Entered into strategic commercial partnership with Chinese watch solution provider to collaborate on OLED smartwatch display market.
- Display and Power business separation and entity restructuring completed effective with the start of 2024; New businesses MSS (Mixed-Signal Solutions) and PAS (Power-Analog Solutions)
Original – Magnachip Semiconductor
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Navitas Semiconductor Corporation announced unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.
“I am pleased to announce a record fourth quarter that caps off a year of more than doubling revenue for Navitas as we demonstrated strength across multiple markets,” said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder. “While we are not immune to first half 2024 market headwinds, we see revenue growth accelerating in the second half based on our strong customer pipeline including major new wins in AI data centers, home appliances, solar inverters and a major satellite internet roll-out – all of which positions Navitas for strong growth in 2024 and beyond.”
4Q23 Financial Highlights
- Revenue: Total revenue grew to $26.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, a 111% increase from $12.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a 19% increase from $22.0 million in the third quarter of 2023.
- Gross Margin: GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 42.2%, compared to 40.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 32.3% for the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 42.2% compared to 40.6% for the fourth quarter of 2022 and 42.1% for the third quarter of 2023.
- Loss from Operations: GAAP loss from operations for the quarter was $26.8 million, compared to a loss of $31.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 and a loss of $28.6 million for the third quarter of 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, loss from operations for the quarter was $9.7 million compared to a loss of $12.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 and a loss of $8.7 million for the third quarter of 2023.
- Cash: Cash and cash equivalents were $152.8 million as of December 31, 2023.
FY 2023 Financial Highlights
- Revenue: Total revenue grew to $79.5 million in 2023, a 109% increase from $37.9 million in 2022.
- Gross Margin: GAAP gross margin for 2023 was 39.1%, compared to 31.5% in 2022. Non-GAAP gross margin for 2023 was 41.8% compared to 40.8% for 2022.
- Loss from Operations: GAAP loss from operations for the year was $118.1 million, compared to a loss of $123.6 million for 2022. On a non-GAAP basis, loss from operations for the year was $40.3 million compared to a loss of $41.2 million for 2022.
Market, Customer and Technology Highlights:
- Electric Vehicle: Introduction of new GaNSafe technology plus new Gen-3 Fast silicon carbide is fueling demand for EV on-board and roadside chargers. SiC-based on-board chargers are in or moving to production this year with customers including top EV brands such as Zeekr, Volvo and Smart. Announced joint design center with Shinry – one of the top EV on-board charger suppliers for Hyundai, BYD, Honda, Geely and others.
- Solar/Energy Storage: Displacement of silicon with GaNSafe and Gen 3 Fast SiC technologies continued with significant developments in 3 of the top 5 US solar OEMs, and the majority of the world’s top 10 solar manufacturers. SiC is shipping into this market today and GaN adoption is expected to ramp in late 2024.
- Home Appliance / Industrial: Major new tier 1 home appliance win will drive additional revenues in late ‘24 – Navitas now engaged with 7 of the world’s top 10 home appliance OEMs. Customer designs are in process at 2 of the top 3 global leaders in industrial pumps and a top 3 global leader in heat pumps.
- Datacenter: New GaNSafe and Gen 3 Fast SiC and Navitas’ dedicated design center is now achieving an unprecedented 4.5 kW, more than double the power density of legacy silicon solutions, to deliver accelerating power demands of AI data centers. Over 20 customer designs are expected to ramp production in 2024.
- Mobile: Navitas now powers 5 newly released OPPO models and 8 newly released Xiaomi models with chargers ranging from 67 W to 120 W. Additional Samsung models now include powering the new Galaxy S24.
- Other New Markets: GaN ICs have been designed into the ground-based terminal for a major internet satellite implementation to ramp in 2H24.
Business Outlook
First quarter 2024 net revenues are expected to be $23 million plus or minus $500 thousand. Gross margin for the first quarter is expected to be 41% plus or minus 50 basis points and operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, are expected to be approximately $21.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. Weighted-average basic share count is expected to be approximately 180 million shares for the first quarter of 2024.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
