25 Jan 2026 03:58:06 ET │ 12 pages Advanced Micro-Fabrication Eq (688012.SS) 2025 Preliminary Earnings In-Line with Consensus but Beat CitiE CITI'S TAKE China's semiconductor etching machine maker AMEC voluntarily released its 2025 preliminary results 23 January, indicating that 2025 net profit could increase by 29%-35% YoY to Rmb2.08bn-2.18bn. The mid-point of the earnings range – Rmb2.13bn – is in-line with Bloomberg consensus but 12% ahead of CitiE, which we believe is due to higher investment income. De ...

Summary of Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) - **Ticker**: 688012.SS - **Industry**: Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing Key Financial Results - **3Q25 Net Profit**: Rmb505 million, up 28% YoY, beating consensus estimate of Rmb478 million by 6% [1][11] - **Revenue**: Rmb3.1 billion, a 51% YoY increase, driven by 35% YoY growth in etching equipment sales and Rmb204 million from LPCVD/ALD [1][11] - **Gross Profit Margin (GPM)**: Decreased by 5.8 percentage points YoY to 37.8% due to price discounts for large customers [1][11] - **R&D Expenses**: Increased by 96% YoY to 21.8% of total revenue, reflecting investment in new equipment development [2] Growth Drivers and Market Dynamics - **Import Replacement Demand**: Strong revenue/order growth expected from Chinese logic customers, particularly in memory sectors [3] - **Capacity Expansion**: Foundries in South China, including Pengxinwei and Pensun, are expanding capacities, which may benefit AMEC [3] - **New Product Launches**: Introduction of 90:1 HAR etching machines aimed at supporting Chinese memory customers in producing advanced 3D NAND [3] Valuation and Investment Outlook - **Target Price**: Raised to Rmb352, reflecting a ~63% increase based on a revised P/S multiple of ~13x for 2026E [4][22] - **Investment Rating**: Reiterated Buy due to strong revenue growth prospects and ongoing import replacement trends [4][21] Earnings Forecast Revisions - **2025E Revenue**: Revised to Rmb12.449 billion, a 1% increase from previous estimates [12] - **2026E Revenue**: Revised to Rmb16.603 billion, a 2% increase [12] - **Net Profit Forecasts**: Adjusted downwards for 2025E and 2026E due to anticipated lower margins [12] Risks and Challenges - **Market Risks**: Potential impacts from stricter US restrictions, a weaker semiconductor cycle, and lower-than-expected GPM [23] Additional Insights - **Market Capitalization**: Approximately Rmb185.75 billion (US$26.17 billion) [6] - **Expected Total Return**: 18.8%, including a dividend yield of 0.1% [6] - **Long-term Growth**: Management projects at least 30% YoY revenue and new order growth in 2025 [21] This summary encapsulates the essential points from the conference call regarding AMEC's financial performance, market position, growth strategies, and investment outlook.

Investment Rating - The report maintains a Buy rating on Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) with a target price of Rmb220, indicating an expected share price return of 14.9% and a total expected return of 15.1% [2][15]. Core Insights - AMEC's 2024 results showed revenue and gross profit growth of 45% and 36% year-over-year, respectively, aligning with preliminary results. However, net profit decreased by 9% year-over-year to Rmb1.61 billion due to lower investment incomes [1]. - The gross profit margin (GPM) contracted by 2.8 percentage points year-over-year to 41.1% in 2024, attributed to price discounts offered to customers in China [1]. - Operating cash flow (OCF) improved significantly to Rmb1.46 billion cash inflow in 2024, compared to Rmb977 million outflow in 2023 [1]. - Despite the challenges, the report emphasizes that AMEC's solid fundamentals and the import replacement thesis remain intact [1]. Summary by Sections Earnings Summary - In 2024, AMEC's net profit is projected at Rmb1,626 million, with a diluted EPS of Rmb2.626, reflecting an EPS growth decline of 8.8%. For 2025, net profit is expected to rise to Rmb2,391 million, with an EPS of Rmb3.862, indicating a growth of 47.1% [4]. - The report outlines a decreasing P/E ratio from 72.9 in 2024E to 49.6 in 2025E, suggesting improved valuation metrics over time [4]. Market Comparison - The report indicates a preference for NAURA (002371.SZ) over AMEC due to NAURA's potential for mergers and acquisitions to expand its product portfolio and its cheaper price-to-sales (P/S) valuation [2][15]. - AMEC's P/S valuation is based on approximately 11 times the 2025 estimated sales, reflecting the market's recognition of its semi-equipment business [15].

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference focused on the semiconductor equipment industry in China, specifically companies AccoTEST, AMEC, and NAURA, during SEMICON China 2025 [1] Core Insights 1. **Competition from SiCarrier**: - Equipment makers do not perceive SiCarrier, backed by Huawei, as an immediate threat due to concerns over technology leakage among Chinese chip makers [1][2] - SiCarrier claims to have a complete product line, but cooperation with Chinese chip makers is uncertain unless it can produce qualified DUV lithography machines [2] 2. **Revenue Growth Expectations**: - Equipment manufacturers anticipate a revenue/order growth of 25%-30% year-over-year in 2025, driven by ongoing import replacement trends, which are not influenced by typical semiconductor cycles [1] 3. **In-House Component Development**: - Companies are increasingly designing or manufacturing key components internally to ensure supply security. For instance, AccoTEST is designing chips for ATE, while NAURA is producing flowmeters [1] Company-Specific Updates AccoTEST - **Order Growth**: Expected ATE order growth of over 30% year-over-year in Q1 2025, with visibility extending into Q2 2025 [3] - **New Product Confidence**: Management is optimistic about securing firm orders for the STS8600 product, which is priced approximately 20% lower than global competitors [3] - **In-House Chip Design**: The decision to design chips internally is driven by the lack of tailored offerings from major suppliers, not geopolitical issues [3] NAURA - **Revenue and Order Growth**: Projected revenue and new order growth of 25%-30% in 2025 [4] - **M&A Considerations**: Following the acquisition of a stake in Kingsemi, NAURA is considering further expansion through mergers and acquisitions [4] - **Component Production**: Plans to design and produce key components like E-Chucks and flowmeters for local peers, in addition to removing US components from its supply chain [4] AMEC - **Growth Projections**: Anticipates a 30% growth in both revenue and orders for 2025 [5] - **New Product Revenue**: The LPCVD product is expected to see a revenue increase of approximately 200% year-over-year in 2025 [5] - **Certification Process**: The 90:1 HAR etching machine is currently undergoing certification with Chinese NAND customers, which is crucial for producing advanced 3D NAND [5] Additional Insights - The semiconductor equipment market in China is characterized by a strong focus on domestic production and supply chain security, with companies actively seeking to reduce reliance on foreign technology and components [1][4][5] - The overall sentiment among the equipment makers is optimistic, with significant growth expected despite potential competitive pressures from new entrants like SiCarrier [1][2][3][4][5]