Group 1 - The PCB market is experiencing significant demand growth driven by the AI development wave, leading to a new round of capacity expansion in the industry [1][3] - Pengding Holdings (002938) reported a revenue of 26.855 billion yuan for the first three quarters of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 14.34%, and a net profit of 2.407 billion yuan, up 21.23% [1] - The company plans to actively promote new capacity construction in Huai'an and Thailand, with capital expenditure reaching 4.972 billion yuan, an increase of nearly 3 billion yuan year-on-year [1] Group 2 - Defu Technology (301511) and Feiliwa (300395) have announced financing and expansion plans, with Defu planning to invest 1 billion yuan in special copper foil production [2] - Shenghong Technology (300476) is expanding its high-end product capacity, including HDI and multilayer boards, to maintain its leading position in the global PCB industry [2] - Dongshan Precision (002384) is enhancing high-end PCB capacity to meet long-term demand in high-speed computing servers and AI applications [2] Group 3 - The PCB industry is seeing a surge in demand for high-layer boards, HDI boards, and IC substrates, with a projected investment of 41.9 billion yuan from leading domestic PCB companies by 2025-2026 [3] - The industry is characterized by a return to an upward cycle, product high-endization, and factory establishment in Southeast Asia, which is expected to drive the demand for PCB equipment upgrades [3] Group 4 - The global PCB market size was 78.34 billion USD in 2023, a decrease of 4.2% year-on-year, but is expected to reach 96.8 billion USD by 2025 [4] - The Chinese PCB market size was 363.257 billion yuan in 2023, down 3.8% from the previous year, but is projected to recover to 433.321 billion yuan by 2025 [4] - Recent quarterly reports from over ten PCB-related listed companies, including Shengyi Electronics and Dazhu CNC, show significant performance increases due to rising market demand [4]

Core Viewpoint - The demand for printed circuit boards (PCBs) is surging due to the accelerated construction of AI computing power infrastructure, with significant growth expected in high-layer boards, high-density interconnect (HDI) boards, and IC substrates. Domestic manufacturers are actively expanding high-end capacity, and it is anticipated that domestic PCB equipment manufacturers will seize the AI PCB boom, validating emerging technologies and capturing incremental demand, leading to an increase in domestic market share and value enhancement [1]. Supply and Demand Trends - Structural demand for high-layer boards, HDI boards, and IC substrates is robust due to AI servers. The overall demand for AI PCBs is outpacing supply, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% for global market server/storage PCBs from 2024 to 2029, driven by AI demand. The planned output value for high-layer boards, HDI boards, and IC substrates is growing rapidly, with an estimated investment of 41.9 billion yuan from leading domestic AI PCB companies by 2025-2026 [1][2]. AI PCB Upgrades - The usage and specifications of PCBs are evolving due to AI servers. For instance, the configuration of Nvidia's NVL36 includes 36 GPUs, 18 CPUs, and 9 NVSwitches, with even higher usage in the NV72 model. The demand for high-layer and HDI PCBs is increasing, leading to higher requirements for wiring, copper plating, and blind/buried holes [2]. Beneficiaries in AI PCB Equipment - The increase in layers and precision in PCBs is benefiting exposure, drilling, electroplating, and inspection equipment. According to Prismark, the global market value shares for these equipment types are 17%, 21%, 7%, and 15%, respectively. The demand for more precise wiring is raising requirements for LDI equipment, while higher layer counts and complex HDI structures are increasing the need for micro-drilling and laser drilling technologies. The uniformity requirements for micro-hole filling are also rising, with expectations for VCP penetration rates to improve from 55% [3][4].