Himax(US:HIMX)2025-02-13 14:00Financial Performance - Q4 2024 revenues reached $237.2 million, a sequential increase of 6.7% and up 4.2% year over year, exceeding guidance [5][12] - Gross margin for Q4 was 30.5%, up from 30% in the previous quarter and 30.3% a year ago, driven by a favorable product mix and cost improvements [6][11] - Q4 profit per diluted ADS was $0.14, significantly above the guidance range of $0.093 to $0.11 [6] - Full year 2024 revenues totaled $906.8 million, a decline of 4.1% compared to 2023, with operating expenses down 5.6% [12][15] - Net profit for 2024 was $79.8 million or $0.46 per diluted ADS, up from $50.6 million or $0.29 per diluted ADS in 2023 [16] Business Line Performance - Revenue from large display drivers in Q4 was $25 million, an 18.6% sequential decline, attributed to customer destocking and price competition [6][7] - Small and medium-sized discrete driver segment revenue was $166.8 million, a 7.4% sequential increase, driven by strong automotive and tablet market sales [7][8] - Non-driver sales in Q4 reached $45.4 million, a 24.9% increase from the previous quarter, primarily due to a one-time product shipment [9] Market Performance - Automotive driver sales increased by nearly 20% year over year in 2024, significantly outpacing overall automotive market growth [12][22] - Automotive TDDI and key car sales surged by more than 70%, reflecting strong adoption across the board [12][13] - Revenue from large panel display drivers decreased by 28.3% year over year, accounting for 13.9% of total sales [13][14] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is focusing on advancing automotive OLED technology and expanding its technology development beyond display ICs [22][23] - Himax is well-positioned in the automotive display market, with a strong emphasis on TDDI technology and partnerships with leading panel makers [36][37] - The company is also exploring opportunities in the AI and IoT sectors, with significant advancements in smart home applications and AI sensing solutions [24][42] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged ongoing macroeconomic challenges but emphasized strict budget and expense control measures [11] - The company expects Q1 2025 revenues to decrease by 8.5% to 12.5% sequentially due to seasonal demand [19] - Management remains optimistic about the automotive business and anticipates continued growth in TDDI and OLED technologies [22][37] Other Important Information - The company reported a strong positive operating cash flow of $35.4 million for Q4 2024 [16] - Inventory levels have declined to healthy levels, with year-end inventory at $158.7 million [17] - Capital expenditures for 2024 were $13.1 million, down from $23.4 million in 2023, primarily due to reduced spending on in-house projects [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Updates on CPO adoption and competition landscape - Management indicated that 2025 will focus on engineering validation with limited revenue contribution, expecting mass production to commence in 2026 [55][56] - Annualized potential revenue for CPO could reach hundreds of millions of dollars, with significant demand anticipated [58][62] Question: Core driver IC business outlook - The sequential decline in Q1 is attributed to seasonal factors, with no significant changes in inventory levels reported [64][66] - Gross margin is expected to remain stable due to a favorable product mix, despite lower sales contributions from automotive [66][67]