Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-12-13 12:09Core Viewpoint - The semiconductor equipment sector is experiencing significant growth driven by AI computing power, an upward storage cycle, and accelerated domestic substitution, positioning the industry for performance realization [2][3]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - The global semiconductor industry is entering a recovery phase, with the market size expected to reach $346 billion in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 18.9%, and projected to grow by 15.4% for the entire year, reaching $728 billion [3]. - Semiconductor equipment is forecasted to see explosive growth, with global equipment shipments expected to approach $100 billion in 2025 and soar to $138.1 billion in 2026, driven primarily by AI and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) demand [3]. Group 2: Capital Expenditure Trends - Major overseas storage manufacturers, including Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are significantly increasing their capital expenditures, with a year-on-year growth exceeding 80% for 2025 [5]. - Samsung is upgrading its DDR4 production lines to DDR5 and expanding HBM production, while SK Hynix has raised its annual capital expenditure to $20.3 billion, focusing on HBM3E and 3D DRAM [5]. Group 3: Domestic Market Developments - The domestic semiconductor equipment market is projected to reach $21.62 billion by mid-2025, accounting for 33.2% of the global market, making it the largest single market worldwide [8]. - Companies like Changxin Storage and Yangtze Memory Technologies are accelerating their expansion, with Changxin's IPO valuation reaching $140 billion and Yangtze's third-phase project registered with a capital of $20.72 billion [8]. Group 4: Storage Cycle and Demand - AI models are driving unprecedented storage demand, with AI servers requiring DRAM capacities eight times greater and NAND capacities three times greater than standard servers, with individual AI server storage needs reaching 2TB [9]. - The HBM market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% from 2024 to 2030, with its share in the DRAM market projected to exceed 50% [9]. Group 5: Investment Opportunities - The semiconductor equipment industry is poised for growth driven by technological iterations and domestic substitution, with a focus on core equipment such as etching, lithography, and thin-film deposition, which collectively account for over 60% of the equipment value distribution [15][18]. - Companies like North Huachuang and Microchip Technology are positioned as key players in the core equipment sector, with significant market shares and growth potential [18][19].