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Soitec announced consolidated revenue of 226 million Euros for the third quarter of FY’25 (ended December 29th, 2024), down 6% on a reported basis compared to the third quarter of FY’24. This reflects a 10% decline at constant exchange rates and perimeter, a positive currency impact of 5% and a negative scope effect of 1%.
Pierre Barnabé, Soitec’s CEO, commented: “After a very strong sequential rebound in the second quarter, we maintained the third-quarter revenue at a fairly similar level. The good performance of the Mobile Communications division was driven by sustained momentum in POI, and a seasonal tailwind in RF-SOI sales. Despite seasonal restocking in the second half of the fiscal year, the customers continue to optimize RF-SOI inventory levels based on seasonality and market conditions, which will keep driving fluctuations over the next few quarters. At the same time, we are strengthening our position as a leader, notably with the introduction of new innovative 300mm products. The Automotive and Industrial division continues to be impacted by a weak automotive market. In Edge & Cloud AI, the momentum remains strong, supported by significant investments in cloud infrastructure across the industry to accelerate AI computing power, as well as increasing demand at the edge for lower energy consumption and processing costs.
Due to worsening conditions in the Automotive and Consumer markets, a couple of customers have requested to put some delivery requests on hold. As a consequence, we are adjusting our guidance for fiscal year 2025, with annual revenue expected to decrease by high single digit year-on-year. We are managing our EBITDA margin to be between 32% and 34%.
With the lack of visibility on our end markets for now, it is also too early to provide specific guidance for fiscal year 2026. Given current market conditions, we expect at this stage quite limited growth for fiscal year 2026.
Our fundamentals remain solid and will allow us to accelerate as end markets recover. We continue to enhance our technology leadership, to strengthen our SOI positioning with both existing and new customers, and to deploy our expansion into compound semiconductors with the acceleration of POI volumes and a fifth customer in qualification on SmartSiCTM.”
Original – Soitec
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Infineon Technologies AG has signed a €2.0 billion revolving credit facility with a tenor of five years and two one-year extension options at each lender’s discretion.
A total of 14 national and international reputable banks from Europe, America, and Asia have taken part in the transaction.
“This highly successful transaction highlights the strong trust which Infineon enjoys from its banking group. With the new facility, Infineon enhances and complements its liquidity position for general corporate purposes.”, says Matthias Wolff, Head of Corporate Finance at Infineon.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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LATEST NEWS5 Min Read
GlobalFoundries announced, following a rigorous succession planning process, its Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Thomas Caulfield as Executive Chairman and Tim Breen as Chief Executive Officer. Caulfield succeeds Ahmed Yahia who will step down from the Board and his role as Chairman after more than a decade in the position. Breen, who has been with GF since 2018, and is currently Chief Operating Officer (COO), succeeds Caulfield. In addition, Niels Anderskouv, currently GF’s Chief Business Officer, has been appointed GF’s President and COO. With a strong foundation in place, this leadership transition positions GF to accelerate its next phase of growth. These changes will become effective April 28, 2025.
“I am extremely proud of all that we have accomplished at GF,” said Yahia. “In partnership with our customers, we have built GF into a leading semiconductor manufacturer, with a differentiated technology portfolio and a truly global footprint. With a solid strategic foundation and strong execution capabilities in place, it’s the right time to take the company to the next level. In this context, the Board and Tom selected Tim as its new CEO. Tim has a clear vision for GF, a well-articulated strategy, an impeccable operational track record and a proven ability to drive business performance. The Board is also delighted that Tom will remain closely engaged with the company in his new capacity of Executive Chairman and will continue to focus on strategic industry, academia and government partnerships. Tom has been a superb leader for the company, a values-driven CEO who put the company on the path to sustained success. We are deeply grateful for his leadership over the past seven years.”
“Following a thoughtful, multi-year succession planning process the board unanimously selected Tim to be GF’s next CEO,” said David Kerko, Lead Independent Director of the GF Board. “We are confident he is the right person to guide GF forward and are excited to work closely with him as the company continues to build on its strong momentum.”
“I am truly honored and excited to be appointed as the next CEO of GF,” said Breen. “GF is uniquely positioned with our talented team, differentiated technology and geographically diverse manufacturing footprint to meet our global customers’ needs. I appreciate the confidence that the Board has placed in me, and I look forward to partnering with Tom and Niels to expand our portfolio, deepen our customer focus, accelerate our growth and deliver increasing value for our shareholders.”
“Since joining GF, Tim has played a critical role as my co-pilot in shaping the strategy of the company,” said Caulfield. “In his current role as COO, Tim has made a tremendous impact integrating GF’s global operations and driving performance while accelerating our digital and sustainability transformations. As the AI wave moves from cloud to edge, GF is uniquely positioned to accelerate growth and continue to innovate, deliver and create value for all our stakeholders, and I am fully confident in Tim’s ability to lead the company into this next phase.”
“I am also looking forward to Niels assuming an even greater responsibility for end-to-end execution of commercial strategy, product differentiation and global manufacturing,” continued Caulfield. “Since joining the team in 2023, Niels has set a clear strategy for building differentiated products, value-added services and establishing durable partnerships with our customers. Together, Tim and Niels have the vision and experience to guide the company forward.”
“Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Ahmed for his tireless efforts and exceptional leadership over the past eleven years,” said Caulfield. “His vision and dedication have been instrumental in shaping GF into the company it is today.”
Caulfield became President and CEO of GF in 2018. During his tenure he repositioned the technology portfolio to focus on differentiated, essential chips and steered the company to sustainable profitability. In 2021, he spearheaded GF’s IPO, one of the largest semiconductor IPOs in history. Amid a global chip shortage, he focused on building resilient supply chains, investing in new manufacturing capacity and forging partnerships with key customers and governments.
Breen oversees the company’s global operations, including the manufacturing, quality, supply chain and IT teams, based in New York. Prior to becoming COO in 2023, he served in various senior executive roles encompassing strategy, business transformation and finance as a close partner and advisor to the CEO since 2018. Prior to joining GF, Breen was a senior member of the executive team at Mubadala Investment Company where he led global projects and investments across numerous sectors from energy and industrials to consumer and life sciences, including contributing to the creation of several multi-billion-dollar companies. He has also served on the board of several public and private companies, including his current position of Chairman of NOVA Chemicals. Earlier in his career, after graduating from the London Business School, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company.
Anderskouv joined GF as Chief Business Officer in 2023 with responsibilities for leading GF’s product and technology roadmap, business and commercial strategy as well as the company’s go-to-market execution. He brings more than 25 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, executive management and global leadership in the semiconductor industry.
Prior to joining GF, he served as Senior Vice President and Executive Officer at Texas Instruments, where he was responsible for the company’s multi-billion-dollar Analog Power business. Anderskouv holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Copenhagen.
Original – GlobalFoundries
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FINANCIAL RESULTS / LATEST NEWS5 Min Read
Siltronic AG has achieved its annual guidance for 2024 at the upper end of expectations based on preliminary, unaudited figures. The company reported preliminary sales of EUR 1,413 million, a decline of about 7 percent compared to the previous year (2023: EUR 1,514 million). The target for the reporting year was a high single-digit percentage decrease in sales.
The main reason for the year-over-year decline was weaker demand from the semiconductor industry due to continued high inventory levels, particularly at chip manufacturers. Despite the ongoing demand weakness for the second consecutive financial year, Siltronic recorded only a slight decrease in sales prices. As a result, a preliminary EBITDA of EUR 364 million (2023: EUR 434 million) and thus a continued solid EBITDA margin of 26 percent (2023: 29 percent) was achieved. This margin was also at the upper end of the guided range of 24 to 26 percent.
“Despite a challenging market environment, we achieved our guidance and demonstrated our resilience with an EBITDA margin of 26 percent, thanks to targeted cost reduction measures. For the year 2025, we anticipate that the growth in the end-markets, primarily driven by AI, will not yet be reflected in our wafer demand due to the persistently elevated inventory levels in the value chain. Therefore, we expect H1 2025 to be significantly weaker than H2 2024,” commented Dr. Michael Heckmeier, CEO of Siltronic AG.
Compared to the previous year, cost of sales decreased at an underproportional level to sales due to lower fixed cost dilution and higher depreciation. As expected, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were significantly lower year-over-year at EUR 125 million (2023: EUR 231 million). The preliminary EBIT margin was 9 percent compared to 15 percent in 2023.
Net cash flow improved due to lower capex
In the year under review, capex including intangible assets was significantly reduced to EUR 523 million (2023: EUR 1,316 million). The majority of investments continued to relate to the new 300 mm wafer fab in Singapore, which was commissioned at the beginning of 2024 and will now be ramped over several years.
Due to the ongoing demand weakness and the still elevated project-related investments, the preliminary net cash flow for 2024 remained negative at EUR -297 million, but improved significantly compared to the previous year (2023: EUR -664 million). As a result, net financial debt increased to EUR 733 million as of December 31, 2024 (2023: EUR 356 million). This includes the dividend payment of EUR 36 million for 2023.
Business performance in Q4 2024
Preliminary Q4 2024 sales of EUR 361 million were slightly higher than Q3 (EUR 357 million), supported by a stronger US dollar. Preliminary EBITDA for Q4 2024 of EUR 93 million exceeded the previous quarter’s level (Q3 2024: EUR 89 million), mainly due to the improved FX result. The preliminary EBITDA margin was 26 percent (Q3 2024: 25 percent). With a planned slight increase in depreciation, the preliminary EBIT in Q4 2024 amounted to EUR 27 million (Q3 2024: EUR 29 million). Preliminary net cash flow for Q4 improved significantly to EUR 21 million (Q3 2024: EUR -65 million). This improvement is mainly due to better operating cash flow and timing differences between payment dates and the accounting of capex. Preliminary capex for Q4 amounted to EUR 116 million (Q3 2024: EUR 94 million).
Guidance for the financial year 2025
Despite the forecast for continued end market growth in the current financial year, inventory levels at chip manufacturers and their customers are only slowly decreasing. This continues to delay the expected wafer demand recovery. The Executive Board therefore expects demand to remain subdued and no sales growth in 2025. Assuming unchanged exchange rates, sales are expected to be in the region of the previous year. According to current estimates, the first six months of 2025 will be the most affected, as customer volume shifts from long-term contracts will also partly occur from the first to the second half of 2025.
The sales guidance takes into account the announced closure of wafer production for diameters up to 150 mm in Burghausen, which is now scheduled for July 31, 2025. This will have a slightly negative impact on sales and a negligible impact on earnings compared to the previous year.
The EBITDA margin is expected to be in the range of 22 to 27 percent. The cost of ramping the new fab will be partially offset by savings in energy and other areas.
At this point, Siltronic’s visibility remains very limited. A more detailed guidance is expected to be provided with the publication of the Annual Report on March 6, 2025.
Mid-term ambition delayed due to postponed demand recovery
The demand recovery assumed in the mid-term ambition (published at the Capital Markets Day in 2023) did not materialize in 2024, and the current financial year also continues to be characterized by subdued growth prospects. As a result, the mid-term ambition of generating sales of more than EUR 2.2 billion and an EBITDA margin in the high 30’s by 2028 will likely not be realized until a later point in time.
Despite these developments, Siltronic is convinced of its medium-term growth potential. Key drivers of this growth are megatrends such as Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Electromobility which will lead to a strong increase in demand for semiconductors and thus also for wafers.
Dividend proposal of EUR 0.20 per share
Due to the continued demand recovery delay, the Executive Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting on May 12, 2025, a reduction of the dividend to EUR 0.20 per share for the financial year 2024. Based on the preliminary figures, this corresponds to a payout ratio of approximately 10 percent of the consolidated net income attributable to Siltronic shareholders.
“The freed-up funds will flow into our future investments to increase the long-term value of Siltronic. Despite the ongoing demand weakness, it is important to us that our shareholders continue to participate in the company’s success,” said Claudia Schmitt, CFO of Siltronic AG.
Original – Siltronic
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FINANCIAL RESULTS / LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Infineon Technologies AG reported results for the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year (period ended 31 December 2024).
“Infineon has held up well in a weak market environment, closing its first quarter slightly ahead of expectations,” says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “Against a continued uncertain economic backdrop, our business trajectory in this fiscal year is following the pattern we expected: Following the expected inventory reduction, we continue to anticipate that the recovery in demand will be gradual for the current fiscal year. The positive stand-out is the move towards increased use of artificial intelligence, which is driving demand for our leading power supply solutions for AI data centers. This is a prime example of our long-term growth drivers, digitalization and decarbonization.”
- Q1 FY 2025: Revenue €3.424 billion, Segment Result €573 million, Segment Result Margin 16.7 percent
- Outlook for Q2 FY 2025: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro, revenue of around €3.6 billion expected. On this basis, Segment Result Margin forecast to be in the mid-teens percentage range
- Outlook for FY 2025: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro (previously US$1.10), revenue is now expected to be flat to slightly up (previously: to decline slightly) compared with the prior year. The adjusted gross margin should be around 40 percent and the Segment Result Margin in the mid-to-high-teens percentage range. Investments of approximately €2.5 billion planned. Free Cash Flow adjusted for investments in frontend buildings should be around €1.7 billion and reported Free Cash Flow around €900 million
Original – Infineon Technologies
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NXP Semiconductors N.V. reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year, which ended December 31, 2024.
“NXP delivered full-year 2024 revenue of $12.61 billion, a decrease of 5 percent year-on-year. In the fourth quarter, revenue was $3.11 billion, a decrease of 9 percent year-on-year, modestly above the mid-point of our guidance range. In review, NXP delivered resilient results throughout 2024, reflecting solid execution, consistent gross margin, and healthy free cash flow generation despite a challenging market environment. We rigorously focus on managing what is in our control, to navigate a soft landing while executing our growth strategy,” said Kurt Sievers, NXP President and Chief Executive Officer.
Key Highlights for the Fourth Quarter and Full-year 2024:
- Fourth quarter revenue was $3.11 billion, down 9 percent year-on-year. Full-year revenue was 12.61 billion, down 5 percent year-on-year;
- Fourth quarter GAAP gross margin was 53.9 percent, GAAP operating margin was 21.7 percent and GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $1.93. Full year GAAP gross margin was 56.4 percent, GAAP operating margin was 27.1 percent and GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $9.73;
- Fourth quarter Non-GAAP gross margin was 57.5 percent, non-GAAP operating margin was 34.2 percent, and non-GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $3.18. Full-year Non-GAAP gross margin was 58.1 percent, non-GAAP operating margin was 34.6 percent, and non-GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $13.09;
- Fourth quarter cash flow from operations was $391 million, with net capex investments of $99 million, resulting in non-GAAP free cash flow of $292 million. Full-year cash flow from operations was $2,782 million, with net capex investments of $693 million, resulting in non-GAAP free cash flow of $2,089 million;
- During the fourth quarter of 2024, NXP continued to execute its capital return policy with the payment of $258 million in cash dividends, and the repurchase of $455 million of its common shares. The total capital return of $713 million in the quarter represented 244 percent of fourth quarter non-GAAP free cash flow. On a trailing twelve month basis, capital return to shareholders represented $2.4 billion or 115 percent of non-GAAP free cash flow. The interim dividend for the fourth quarter 2024 was paid in cash on January 8, 2025 to shareholders of record as of December 5, 2024. Subsequent to the end of the fourth quarter, between January 1, 2025 and January 31, 2025, NXP executed via a 10b5-1 program additional share repurchases totaling $101 million;
- On October 15, 2024, NXP introduced the S32J family of high-performance automotive Ethernet switches and network controllers to enable the next generation of software-defined vehicle development (SDV). The S32J family shares a common switch core with the NXP S32 portfolio of automotive processing devices to maximize software re-use and simplify network configuration and integration;
- On October 23, 2024, NXP announced Audi has adopted the Trimension® NCJ29Dx Ultra Wide Band (UWB) product family in its advanced UWB platform delivering precise and secure real-time localization to enable hands-free secure car access via smart mobile device and other UWB-based features. Cars featuring NXP’s Trimension UWB devices, including the Audi Q6 e-tron, will hit the road in 2024;
- On November 12, 2024, NXP announced the i.MX 94 family, the newest addition to its i.MX 9 series of applications processors, designed for industrial control, telematics, gateways, and building and energy control. The i.MX94 family includes Ethernet Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) switching capabilities;
- On November 12, 2024, NXP announced industry-first wireless battery management system (BMS) based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) connectivity, expanding its “FlexCom” family of wired and wireless BMS solutions. The new UWB-based BMS solutions enable increased battery energy density, decoupling the mechanical and electrical development for faster time to market;
- On December 17, 2024, NXP announced it had entered into an definitive agreement to acquire Aviva Links, a provider of Automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA) compliant in-vehicle connectivity solutions in an all-cash transaction valued at $242.5 million. The acquisition of Aviva Links expands NXP’s market leading in-vehicle networking (IVN) portfolio with the industry’s most advanced ASA compliant portfolio, supporting SerDes point-to-point (ASA-ML) and Ethernet-based connectivity (ASA-MLE) with data rates up to 16 Gbps;
- On January 7, 2025, NXP announced it had entered into an definitive agreement to acquire TT Tech Auto, a leader in safety-critical systems and middleware for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The all-cash transaction is valued at $625 million, and accelerates the NXP CoreRide platform, enabling automakers to reduce complexity, maximize system performance and shorten time to market. TT Tech Auto’s MotionWise middleware platform has a proven industry track record and is designed to manage the interconnected systems in SDVs, prioritizing safety-critical functions while ensuring seamless integration.
Original – NXP Semiconductors
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LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Teradyne, Inc. and Infineon Technologies AG have entered into a strategic partnership to advance power semiconductor test.
As part of the strengthened relationship, Teradyne will acquire part of Infineon’s automated test equipment team (AET) in Regensburg, Germany. This acquisition provides mutual benefits for both companies. With the additional resources and expertise, Teradyne will accelerate its roadmap in the power semiconductor segment while collaborating on new solutions with a key market leader.
By entering into a service agreement, Infineon secures continued manufacturing support as well as enhanced flexibility to respond to internal demand for this specialized test equipment, and benefits from Teradyne’s economy of scale. Teradyne is fully committed to the 80-person team at Infineon’s Regensburg site and plans to build upon these capabilities as it integrates together with its Power Semiconductor business unit.
“We are thrilled to enter into this strategic partnership with Infineon,” said Rick Burns, President, Semiconductor Test Group at Teradyne. “Acquiring and integrating Infineon’s technology and team in Regensburg will extend our leadership in the power semiconductor market. Infineon’s technology will enhance our market-leading ETS product portfolio, demonstrating our commitment to continue to provide innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
“Together with Teradyne, we are advancing our power semiconductor test capabilities,” said Alexander Gorski, Executive Vice President, Frontend Operations at Infineon. “Integrating our experienced workforce with Teradyne will help to accelerate innovation and address the dynamic test challenges in new technologies like silicon carbide and gallium nitride at the scale and flexibility needed by our markets and customers. At the same time, we provide our employees a long-term perspective in a highly specialized company.”
Original – Teradyne
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STMicroelectronics announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024, highlighting both its revenue performance and future strategic initiatives. In Q4 2024, the company reported net revenues of $3.32 billion, a gross margin of 37.7%, and an operating margin of 11.1%. Net income for the quarter stood at $341 million, reflecting ST’s ability to maintain profitability despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
For the full year, ST achieved net revenues of $13.27 billion, a gross margin of 39.3%, and an operating margin of 12.6%, with a total net income of $1.56 billion. While the semiconductor industry faced fluctuations in demand, ST maintained solid financials, supported by its diversified portfolio across automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics markets.
Looking ahead to Q1 2025, the company projects net revenues of approximately $2.51 billion and anticipates a gross margin of 33.8%. This outlook suggests a seasonal decline in revenue compared to Q4, but aligns with broader industry trends.
In response to shifting market conditions, ST has initiated a cost-resizing program to optimize its global operational efficiency. This includes measures to streamline expenses, enhance supply chain resilience, and align production capacities with evolving customer demand. The company is also expected to continue investing in next-generation semiconductor technologies, particularly in power electronics, automotive chips, and industrial applications.
CEO Jean-Marc Chery reaffirmed ST’s commitment to long-term growth and sustainability, emphasizing its focus on innovation and cost discipline.
With strategic investments and market adaptability, STMicroelectronics aims to navigate industry challenges while reinforcing its leadership in the semiconductor sector.
Original – STMicroelectronics