Veeco Instruments (NasdaqGS:VECO) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 25, 2026 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsAlex Delacroix - Head of Investor RelationsBill Miller - CEODavid Duley - Managing PrincipalDenis Pyatchanin - Equity Research AssociateJohn Kiernan - SVP and CFOOperatorGreetings, welcome to the Veeco fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. It's now my pleasure to introduce your host, Anthony Pappone, Head of Investor Relations. Thank y ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fourth quarter revenue was $165 million, and EPS was $0.24, both at the midpoint of guidance [9] - Full year revenue totaled $664 million, a decline of 7% from the prior year, with EPS at $1.33 [16] - Semiconductor business revenue reached $477 million, up 2% year-over-year, accounting for 72% of total revenue [16] - Gross margin for the full year was 41%, with operating income of $84 million and net income of $80 million [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Semiconductor business drove revenue growth, primarily from laser annealing, wet processing, and ion beam EUV technology [5] - Advanced packaging business doubled year-over-year, reaching $150 million in 2025 [12] - Compound semiconductor revenue was $60 million, a decline from the prior year, representing 9% of total revenue [16] - Data storage revenue totaled $39 million, also declining from the prior year, comprising 6% of revenue [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Asia Pacific region accounted for 50% of total revenue, with China contributing 27% [17] - Revenue from the Asia Pacific increased to 54% in Q4 due to higher semiconductor sales [19] - Order backlog at year-end was $555 million, a significant increase of $145 million from the prior year, reflecting a 35% growth [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Company aims to expand its presence in the memory market, focusing on AI-driven architectures and advanced packaging [10] - The merger with Axcelis is expected to enhance R&D scale and broaden the product platform [8] - Company is strategically investing in next-generation technologies to meet customer demands [4] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in revenue growth for 2026, forecasting between $740 million and $800 million [22] - Anticipated growth in semiconductor business driven by AI and high-performance computing [22] - Management noted that the semiconductor market is projected to grow to over $1 trillion, with AI accounting for more than half of sales [24] Other Important Information - The company is fully booked for system orders in 2026, with multiple orders extending into 2027 [32] - Gross margins are expected to improve in the second half of 2026, reaching targets of 45% [41] - Tariff impacts are factored into the 2026 guidance, with a headwind of about 100 basis points [43] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook for 2026 revenue growth across segments - Company expects overall revenue for 2026 to be between $740 million and $800 million, with semiconductor revenue projected to grow around 15% [30] Question: Capital expenditure trends in the hard disk drive business - Company noted increasing CapEx from customers due to HAMR adoption, indicating a multi-year increase in business [34] Question: Revenue potential for the Propel GaN-on-Silicon tool - Company anticipates incremental business approaching $15 million from pilot line orders in 2026, with potential for additional orders in 2027 [36] Question: Gross margin expectations for Q1 and beyond - Company expects Q1 gross margins to be similar to Q4, with improvements anticipated in the second half of 2026 [40] Question: Impact of tariffs on gross margins - Company indicated that tariffs are expected to create a headwind of about 100 basis points compared to pre-tariff levels [43]

Fourth Quarter 2025 Highlights: Revenue of $165.0 million, compared with $182.1 million in the same period last yearGAAP net income of $1.1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared with $15.0 million, or $0.26 per diluted share in the same period last yearNon-GAAP net income of $14.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, compared with $24.2 million, or $0.41 per diluted share in the same period last year Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights: Revenue of $664.3 million, compared with $717.3 million in the same per ...

Core Insights - KLA (KLAC) is experiencing significant growth in advanced packaging due to rising demand for powerful chips, particularly in AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications [1][2] - The company anticipates continued revenue growth driven by strong investments in process control products and advanced packaging, with expectations of mid-to-high teens growth in 2026 [2][3] Financial Performance - In calendar 2025, KLA's total systems revenues reached $950 million, marking a 70% year-over-year increase, primarily from advanced packaging revenue growth [2][10] - For fiscal Q3 2026, KLA projects revenues of $3.35 billion (+/- $150 million), reflecting challenges such as rising DRAM costs and supply constraints [4][10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings is $36.58 per share, indicating a 9.9% growth from fiscal 2025 [15] Market Outlook - The core WFE market is expected to grow in the high single to low double digits in 2026, reaching approximately $120 billion, with advanced packaging projected to grow similarly to around $12 billion [3] - The advanced packaging market, supporting heterogeneous chip integration, is currently valued at $11 billion and is growing faster than the core WFE market [2] Competitive Landscape - KLA faces strong competition from ASML and Applied Materials, both of which are recognized for their process control technologies [5] - ASML is benefiting from sustained demand for AI and HPC chips, providing EUV lithography tools that enhance capacity expansion for chip manufacturers [6] - Applied Materials is leading in AI-driven semiconductor innovations and expects significant growth in wafer fabrication equipment businesses in 2026 [7] Stock Performance - KLA's shares have increased by 104.1% over the past 12 months, outperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector, which returned 24.4% [8]

Core Insights - Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) has achieved revenues exceeding $5 billion for three consecutive quarters, with Q2 fiscal 2026 revenues increasing by 22% to $5.34 billion, driven by strong demand in the wafer fabrication equipment market [1][10] Financial Performance - In Q2 fiscal 2026, Systems revenues rose 28% year over year to $3.36 billion, with the foundry business contributing 59% of total Systems sales, up from 35% in the previous year [2][10] - Analysts project Q3 fiscal 2026 revenues for Lam Research at $5.74 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 21.7%, with Systems revenues expected to grow by 22% [5][10] Market Position and Technology - Lam Research's foundry business benefits from increased investments in advanced chip manufacturing, particularly for AI and high-performance computing applications [2][4] - The company is gaining traction with new technologies such as the Aether dry resist EUV patterning solution and the Akara conductor etch system, which enhance pattern precision and process efficiency [3] Competitive Landscape - Major competitors in the foundry equipment market include Applied Materials, Inc. and KLA Corporation, with Applied Materials directly competing in deposition and etch technologies [6][7] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Lam Research's shares have increased by 200.4% over the past year, outperforming the Zacks Electronics – Semiconductors industry's gain of 50.4% [8] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Lam Research is 39.75, significantly higher than the industry average of 32.07 [11] - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year increases of approximately 27.1% and 25.6%, respectively, with recent upward revisions in estimates [14]

BROOKFIELD, Conn., Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB), a worldwide leader in photomask technologies and solutions, today reported financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2026 ended February 1, 2026. Commenting on the first quarter performance, Chairman and CEO George Macricostas said, “Photronics delivered strong results in our fiscal first quarter achieving record high-end IC revenue for the second consecutive quarter. We remain on track with our facility expans ...

Core Viewpoint - ASML identifies the artificial intelligence boom as a long-term growth driver for demand in its products, marking a shift from its previous stance in 2024 where it viewed AI as a limited growth factor [1] Group 1: Demand and Market Trends - The company now anticipates strong growth in the semiconductor market driven by high demand for AI logic and memory products, alongside elevated pricing due to supply-demand imbalances [1] - CEO Christophe Fouquet noted that significant demand for AI is fueling capacity build-up across a broad customer base, a trend expected to continue into 2026 and beyond [1] Group 2: Export Controls and Operations - ASML reported that export-control regimes are evolving, with the Dutch government implementing new controls on metrology and inspection equipment in January 2025 [1] - The company plans to establish a sales and support operation in India to enhance its market presence [1]

This semiconductor equipment supplier, serving global manufacturers, reported a notable insider sale amid a year of strong stock returns.Mui Sung Yeo, Director of Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC +2.93%), reported the sale of 19,143 shares of common stock in an open-market transaction valued at approximately $1.38 million on Feb. 13, 2026, as disclosed in a SEC Form 4 filing.Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (direct)19,143Transaction value~$1.4 millionPost-transaction shares (direct)78,522Post-transaction va ...

A股硬科技赛道迎来强势回暖行情，半导体设备板块成为领涨先锋，其中半导体设备ETF（159516）盘中大幅拉升，单日涨幅突破5%，成交额显著放大，资 金入场迹象明显。这一轮强势反弹并非短期情绪推动，而是行业周期复苏、AI算力爆发、国产替代加速与政策资金共振的结果，背后蕴藏着清晰且扎实的 产业逻辑。 再者，AI算力、先进封装、存储芯片涨价等多重催化不断，行业景气度持续上行，设备企业业绩兑现能力强，盈利确定性不断提升。 最后，机构配置需求旺盛，半导体设备具备高壁垒、高景气、高成长特征，是公募、社保等长期资金重点配置方向，资金面支撑强劲，为板块长期走势提供 坚实保障。对于普通投资者而言，半导体设备赛道技术壁垒高、个股研究难度大、波动风险较高，直接投资个股容易面临选股难题与踩雷风险，而通过ETF 布局则是更为高效、稳健的选择。 半导体设备ETF（159516）紧密跟踪中证半导体材料设备主题指数（931743），精准聚焦半导体设备与材料两大核心赛道，覆盖刻蚀、薄膜沉积、量测、清 洗、硅片、特种气体、光刻胶等芯片上游关键环节，是布局半导体设备赛道的核心工具。该ETF持仓纯度极高，一键打包北方华创、中微公司、拓荆科技、 华海 ...

24 Feb 2026 08:34:35 ET │ 14 pages US Semiconductor Equipment SPIE Day 1 Takeaways CITI'S TAKE We hosted an investor dinner with Lam Research CFO & EVP Doug Bettinger and VP IR Ram Ganesh. Overall, management tone was positive with expectations for another relative WFE out-performance year driven by DRAM + foundry capacity with continued technology migrations in NAND and some new capacity. Dep/Etch SAM is expected to grow faster than WFE and Lam expects to hold 50%+ of the share. Lam's recent 2026 WFE view ...