Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Huahong Semiconductor with a target price of HKD 121, slightly up from the previous target of HKD 120 [6]. Core Insights - Huahong Semiconductor's 4Q25 revenue reached USD 659.9 million, a year-on-year increase of 22.4% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 3.9%, aligning with the company's guidance [13][22]. - The gross margin for the quarter was 13.0%, up 1.6 percentage points year-on-year, consistent with prior guidance [13][22]. - The company expects 1Q26 revenue to remain between USD 650 million and USD 660 million, with a gross margin guidance of 13%-15% [18][10]. Summary by Sections Revenue and Profitability - In 4Q25, revenue was USD 659.9 million, reflecting a 22.4% year-on-year growth and a 3.9% quarter-on-quarter growth, reaching the upper end of the company's guidance [13][22]. - The gross margin was reported at 13.0%, which is a 1.6 percentage point increase year-on-year and aligns with the company's previous guidance of 12%-14% [13][22]. Growth Drivers - The demand for analog and power management products, particularly driven by AI, has significantly boosted revenue, with related income in 4Q25 reaching USD 173.8 million, a substantial year-on-year increase of 40.7% [2][18]. - Huahong's competitive edge in specialty processes, particularly in BCD and power devices, positions it well to capitalize on the tightening supply-demand dynamics in the semiconductor market [2][3]. Capacity Expansion - The company is actively expanding its production capacity, with the first phase of the Wuxi Fab 9 construction exceeding expectations and entering a rapid ramp-up phase [3][19]. - The acquisition of the Shanghai Fab 5 is progressing, which is expected to add approximately 40,000 wafers of monthly capacity, enhancing the company's operational scale and profitability [3][19]. Financial Forecast - Revenue projections for 2026 and 2027 have been adjusted downwards by 4% and 5%, respectively, but the company anticipates a revenue growth of 24% in 2026, 16% in 2027, and 10% in 2028, reaching USD 2.99 billion, USD 3.47 billion, and USD 3.82 billion [15][4]. - The net profit attributable to the parent company is expected to increase significantly, with projections of 100% growth in 2026, followed by 30% and 35% in the subsequent years, reaching USD 110 million, USD 143 million, and USD 193 million [15][4].

Core Insights - The rise of China's wafer foundries is addressing the demand for 8-inch chips as global giants shift focus to 12-inch wafers and AI-related chip needs increase [1][6] - A structural reversal in the 8-inch wafer market is occurring due to a combination of reduced capacity from major players and strong demand for power management chips driven by AI [4][5] Group 1: Market Dynamics - The global supply and demand for 8-inch wafers is entering a state of imbalance, with a projected 2.4% decline in total global 8-inch foundry capacity by 2026 due to strategic capacity reductions by TSMC and Samsung [4][6] - The average capacity utilization rate in the industry is expected to rise to 90% by Q4 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of approximately 7 percentage points, driven by AI applications and recovery in automotive and industrial control sectors [4][6] Group 2: Chinese Foundries' Position - Chinese wafer foundries are positioned to fill the global capacity vacuum left by TSMC and Samsung, with companies like SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor showing strong performance in 8-inch production [6][7] - SMIC's monthly production capacity for logic chips (equivalent to 8-inch) has reached a historic high of 1.023 million wafers, with a capacity utilization rate of 95.8% as of Q3 2025 [7] - Hua Hong Semiconductor's 8-inch production lines are nearing full capacity, benefiting from orders redirected from international power semiconductor giants [7] Group 3: Pricing Trends - Due to the surge in demand, Chinese wafer foundries have raised prices for 8-inch chip processes by approximately 10%, with some orders seeing increases of up to 20% [8][9] - The price increase trend is expected to continue into 2026, as the supply-demand tightness persists [9] Group 4: Long-term Outlook - Despite the current boom in 8-inch wafer production, the long-term trend indicates a migration of power management and display driver chips towards 12-inch nodes, necessitating Chinese manufacturers to accelerate their 12-inch specialty process development [9] - The global semiconductor manufacturing sector anticipates an increase in 12-inch wafer production capacity to a historical high of 9.6 million wafers per month by 2026, driven by sustained strong demand [9]