Teradyne (TER) 2025 Conference Summary Industry Overview - **Semiconductor Testing Market**: The conference primarily focused on the semiconductor testing market, with specific emphasis on segments such as Compute, Mobility, Auto, Industrial, and Memory testing. Key Points and Arguments Compute Segment - **Growth Driven by AI**: The Compute segment is experiencing strong growth, primarily driven by AI and custom ASICs from vertically integrated producers (VIPs) or hyperscalers [3][4] - **Lumpy Shipments**: Shipments are expected to be inconsistent due to project ramps occurring in Q3, Q4, and Q1 [4] - **Market Dominance**: Compute remains the dominant segment in semiconductor testing [4] Mobility Segment - **Transitory Weakness**: The Mobility segment faced challenges in the first half of the year due to supply chain transitions rather than end-market demand [5] - **Potential Recovery**: There are signs of recovery with new system demand emerging, particularly as AI integration in smartphones increases [31][36] Auto and Industrial Segments - **Low Activity Levels**: The Auto and Industrial segments are currently operating at low levels, with no significant increase in activity observed [5] Memory Segment - **Strong 2024 Expectations**: A strong total addressable market (TAM) for memory is anticipated in 2024, but a decline is expected in 2025 due to excess HBM testers in the market [6][39] - **HBM Testers Driving Growth**: The second half of 2025 is expected to be strong for memory testing, driven by HBM memory testers [6][39] Strategic Themes - **Three Key Themes**: The company identified three themes driving market growth: AI, electrification, and verticalization [8] - **Diversified Revenue Streams**: Teradyne's revenue is becoming less dependent on mobile end-market launches, focusing more on AI-driven sectors [9] Competitive Positioning - **UltraFLEX Strategy**: Teradyne's UltraFLEX product tester is designed specifically for high-performance compute, aiming to differentiate from competitors [12] - **Market Share Growth**: The company aims to capture 50% of new VIP participants in the market, currently tracking at that level [21] Robotics and Automation - **Focus on Large Accounts**: Teradyne is pivoting towards large accounts and OEMs to drive growth in the robotics segment, despite current market weaknesses [25][30] - **Profitability Challenges**: The robotics segment is not expected to reach breakeven in the near term due to ongoing market challenges [29] Financial Outlook - **Gross Margin Targets**: Teradyne aims for gross margins of 59% to 60%, with fluctuations expected based on product mix and market conditions [46][50] - **Capital Allocation Strategy**: The company prioritizes technical acquisitions that enhance market capabilities over share buybacks, with a focus on AI demand cycles [51][52] Product Innovations - **Launch of Magnum 7H**: The new memory tester, Magnum 7H, is designed for high performance and compatibility with future memory technologies, providing economic benefits to customers [43][45] Additional Important Insights - **Supply Chain Resilience**: The company has focused on supply chain resilience to mitigate geopolitical risks, impacting gross margins in 2023 [48] - **Market Dynamics**: The mobility market is expected to show signs of recovery in Q1 and Q2 of 2026, with significant shipments typically occurring in the latter half of the year [38] This summary encapsulates the key insights and strategic directions discussed during the Teradyne conference, highlighting the company's focus on AI-driven growth and its adaptive strategies in various market segments.

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2, the company reported sales of $652 million and a non-GAAP EPS of $0.57, both above the midpoint of guidance ranges [17] - Non-GAAP gross margins were 57.3%, consistent with guidance, while non-GAAP operating expenses were $275 million, reflecting increased R&D investments [18] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $132 million, with $117 million in share repurchases and $19 million in dividends paid [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Semi Test revenue was $492 million, with SoC revenue contributing $397 million, memory at $61 million, and IST at $34 million [19] - The IST revenue more than doubled year-over-year, driven by HDD and mobile SLT testers [12] - Robotics revenue was $75 million, up quarter-over-quarter but down year-over-year, with expectations of continued weak market conditions [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand in AI compute is strengthening, with expectations that it will dominate the SoC business in the second half of 2025 [8] - The mobile segment is expected to see modest growth, primarily driven by the ramp of two-nanometer technology and new AI applications in smartphones [15] - The automotive and industrial markets remain cautious, but there are areas of strength, particularly in power semiconductors for data centers [15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on AI, verticalization, and electrification as primary growth drivers, with AI compute expected to be a significant contributor [8] - An acquisition of Quantify Photonics was completed to enhance capabilities in silicon photonics testing, aligning with the strategy to gain share in AI compute [13] - A new manufacturing operation is planned in the U.S. to better serve large customers, indicating a pivot towards larger customer bases [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed increased confidence compared to three months ago, citing improved demand trends in AI compute and better visibility [16] - The second half of 2025 is expected to be stronger than the first half, driven by AI compute and memory [26] - There is optimism about the long-term growth drivers of AI, electrification, and verticalization trends [26] Other Important Information - The company expects Q3 sales to be between $710 million and $770 million, with gross margins projected at 56.5% to 57.5% [23] - The tax rate for Q3 is expected to be 16.3% due to new tax legislation [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook and Growth Drivers - The company noted that the positive outlook is primarily due to increased demand in AI compute, with expectations for growth continuing into Q4 [29] - Many of the current wins are from programs initiated in 2024, with more opportunities anticipated for 2026 [31] Question: Robotics Business and Manufacturing - The establishment of a U.S. manufacturing facility is aimed at enhancing supply chain resilience and is expected to be a significant growth driver in 2026 [36] - The revenue impact from this opportunity is not expected to be material in 2025 but will be significant in 2026 [37] Question: Mobile Market and Complexity - The company is optimistic about the mobile market due to increased complexity and new packaging technologies, which may lead to better performance in 2026 [40] Question: AI Compute Business Size - AI compute was approximately 20% of the SoC revenue in Q2, with expectations for significant growth in the back half of the year [58] Question: GPU Testing Opportunities - The company is optimistic about entering the GPU testing market but has not secured any wins yet; success will depend on proving test capabilities [86]