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Lam Research(LRCX) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-07-30 22:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record revenue of $18.4 billion for the fiscal year 2025, with a gross margin of 48.8% and a record free cash flow generation of approximately $5.4 billion, representing 29% of revenue [19][29] - For the June quarter, revenue was $5.17 billion, a 10% increase from the prior quarter, with a gross margin of 50.3%, marking the highest since the merger with Novelis [18][25] - Diluted earnings per share for the June quarter were $1.33, exceeding the high end of guidance, driven by higher revenue and stronger gross margin performance [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Foundry segment revenue represented 52% of systems revenue in June, up from 48% in March, indicating strong performance in this area [20] - Memory accounted for 41% of systems revenue, a slight decrease from 43% in the prior quarter, with non-volatile memory increasing to 27% from 20% [21] - The Customer Support Business Group revenue remained consistent at approximately $1.7 billion, with a record quarter for upgrade revenue driven by NAND technology convergence [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The China region accounted for 35% of total revenue, up from 31% in the prior quarter, driven by increased investment from global multinational customers [23] - Korea and Taiwan represented 22% and 19% of revenue, respectively, both down from 24% in March, while Japan revenue reached a record level at 14% [23] - The company expects wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) spending to be in the $105 billion range for 2025, up from a prior estimate of $100 billion, primarily due to increased spending in China [7][8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to expand its served available market (SAM) to the mid-30% range of WFE by delivering critical solutions for atomic level device scaling and advanced packaging integration [10] - Investments in R&D have enabled the company to create a competitive product portfolio, positioning it to capture over 50% of the incremental SAM over time [10] - The company is focusing on advanced packaging and gate all around device architectures, which are critical for scaling system performance to meet next-generation AI requirements [13][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to outperform in the WFE market, driven by strong positions in key technology areas such as gate all around and advanced packaging [8][9] - The company anticipates a balanced WFE environment for the second half of 2025, with expectations for modest growth in the Customer Support Business Group [32] - Management noted that while there are headwinds from tariffs and a potential normalization in China spending, the overall outlook remains positive due to strong demand drivers [39][75] Other Important Information - The company allocated approximately $1.3 billion to share buybacks and paid $295 million in dividends during the June quarter [28] - Capital expenditures for the June quarter were $172 million, down from $288 million in March, focused on lab investments and manufacturing facilities [31] - The company ended the June quarter with approximately 19,000 full-time employees, an increase of about 400 from the prior quarter, primarily in R&D [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key drivers of outperformance in the tool business? - Management highlighted foundry logic, selective etch, and ALD as key areas for growth, with advanced packaging becoming increasingly important [36][38] Question: Will gross margins continue to benefit from China? - Management indicated that while there are favorable mix benefits, they expect gross margins to normalize around 48% in December due to various headwinds [39][40] Question: Is NAND strength expected to sustain? - Management reiterated that NAND spending will require approximately $40 billion over several years for technology upgrades, indicating a long-term positive outlook [85][88] Question: How is the company positioned for 2026? - Management refrained from providing specific guidance but expressed confidence in the company's ability to gain share and expand SAM despite potential industry-wide CapEx challenges [82][84] Question: What is the outlook for the advanced packaging business? - Management noted that advanced packaging is performing slightly better than expected, driven by strong demand for HBM and complex packaging schemes [58][60]