Semiconductor & Technology Specialist, Ingenuity

William Keating

Semiconductor & Technology Specialist

Ingenuity

Our focus is exclusively on in-depth research & consulting in the broader semiconductor industry. We focus on the key players, namely Intel, Micron, Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, NVIDIA, AMD, TSMC & Global Foundries - as well as some of the lesser known, but nonetheless critical, companies such as ASML (for EUV), Mellanox, Cavium, Xilinx etc. We specialise in their products, roadmaps, process technologies, competitive advantages & threats etc. We also help our clients understand the implications of new and emerging technologies, e.g. 3D X-Point, 3D NAND, Carbon Nanotubes, Autonomous Driving, Graphene, Silicon Photonics, Wafer-Level Optics, Artificial Intelligence, FPGA, GPU, ASIC etc. 

Semiconductor Analysis & Research

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Global semiconductor equipment billings amounted to $26.4 billion in Q124, down 6% QoQ and down 2% YoY</li>
<li>China's annual WFE spending has roughly doubled between 2020 and 2023 to $36.6 billion</li>
<li>A combination of China's WFE customers including new entrants and a high failure rate among semi startups means that spending has not yet translated into corresponding increase in semi output</li>
</ul>


Global semiconductor equipment billings amounted to $26.4 billion in Q124, down 6% QoQ and down 2% YoY
China's annual WFE spending has roughly doubled between 2020 and 2023 to $36.6 billion
A combination of China's WFE customers including new entrants and a high failure rate among semi startups means that spending has not yet translated into corresponding increase in semi output


Semiconductor WFE Q124 Revenues, China's Share & What Are They Doing With All Those Tools?

Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors, Fabricated Knowledge

Douglas O'Laughlin

Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors

Fabricated Knowledge

Learn more about the world's most important manufactured product. Meaningful insight, timely analysis, and an occasional investment idea.

<ul><li>Subsystems did the results you should expect, and MKSI did a questionable (and understandable) convertible offering that tanked shares right after.</li><li>All subsystems (except Ichor which sucks) look to be in a much better spot.</li><li>The summary is that Subsystems revenue should continue improving into the second half and that 2025 will be a strong year.</li></ul>

Subsystems did the results you should expect, and MKSI did a questionable (and understandable) convertible offering that tanked shares right after.All subsystems (except Ichor which sucks) look to be in a much better spot.The summary is that Subsystems revenue should continue improving into the second half and that 2025 will be a strong year.

Earnings Subsystems (MKSI, ICHR, UCTT), Semicap (ONTO, CAMT, AMAT, TOELY), and SiTime

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Last year with earnings, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ushio-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6640:1" rel="noopener">Ushio Inc (6925 JP)</a> announced a HUUUGE buyback discussed in  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/huuuge-ushio-6925-buyback" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:102028" rel="noopener">HUUUGE Ushio (6925) Buyback</a>. The headline was 17% of shares out. They ended up buying 13.2%. </li>
<li>Last year the stock popped on the news. Then shares went sideways for months. Then they went up on stable (bad) earnings guidance in H2. Today they beat Q3-updated guidance.</li>
<li>But today they announced a "<a href="https://www.ushio.co.jp/documents/ir/library/plan/ushio_plan2024_e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new growth strategy</a>" to 2030, and guided to a SHARP (-60%) drop in OP and NP to March 2025, and announced a HUUUGE Buyback. Again.</li>
</ul>


Last year with earnings, Ushio Inc (6925 JP) announced a HUUUGE buyback discussed in  HUUUGE Ushio (6925) Buyback. The headline was 17% of shares out. They ended up buying 13.2%. 
Last year the stock popped on the news. Then shares went sideways for months. Then they went up on stable (bad) earnings guidance in H2. Today they beat Q3-updated guidance.
But today they announced a "new growth strategy" to 2030, and guided to a SHARP (-60%) drop in OP and NP to March 2025, and announced a HUUUGE Buyback. Again.


Another HUGE Ushio (6925) Buyback After A HUGE Buyback Last Year

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Q124 revenues of 2.36 billion, $60 million above the guided midpoint, down 5% QoQ and down 3% YoY.</li>
<li>Current quarter revenue guidance of $2.5 billion representing a ~6% QoQ increase and about the same YoY.</li>
<li>Share price close to record highs yet CY2024 outlook is tepid while the massive over reliance on China just keeps on going</li>
</ul>


Q124 revenues of 2.36 billion, $60 million above the guided midpoint, down 5% QoQ and down 3% YoY.
Current quarter revenue guidance of $2.5 billion representing a ~6% QoQ increase and about the same YoY.
Share price close to record highs yet CY2024 outlook is tepid while the massive over reliance on China just keeps on going


KLAC. Priced For Perfection In 2025 & Beyond

<ul>
<li>Q124 revenues of $3.79 billion, pretty much flat sequentially both QoQ and YoY, and also marginally better than guidance.</li>
<li>Looking ahead, the company forecasted Q224 revenues $3.8 billion, i.e. flat QoQ. Still no full year 2024 outlook</li>
<li>Technology transitions such as GAA, Backside Power, molybdenum replacing tungsten &amp; the rise of generative AI will all be growth drivers in 2025 &amp; beyond </li>
</ul>


Q124 revenues of $3.79 billion, pretty much flat sequentially both QoQ and YoY, and also marginally better than guidance.
Looking ahead, the company forecasted Q224 revenues $3.8 billion, i.e. flat QoQ. Still no full year 2024 outlook
Technology transitions such as GAA, Backside Power, molybdenum replacing tungsten &amp; the rise of generative AI will all be growth drivers in 2025 &amp; beyond 


LRCX. Mounting Tailwinds Bode Well For 2025 & Beyond

United States

Applied Materials, Inc. develops, manufactures, markets, and services semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment and related spare parts for the worldwide semiconductor industry.  The Company's customers include semiconductor wafer and integrated circuit manufacturers, flat panel liquid crystal displays, solar photovoltaic cells and modules and other electronic devices manufacturers.

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Applied Materials (AMAT US)

Earnings Subsystems (MKSI, ICHR, UCTT), Semicap (ONTO, CAMT, AMAT, TOELY), and SiTime

The final week of earnings other than Nvidia. Subsystems did the results you should expect, and MKSI did a questionable (and understandable)...

Fabricated Knowledge

Another HUGE Ushio (6925) Buyback After A HUGE Buyback Last Year

Last May Ushio guided down earnings but announced a huge buyback. The stock popped on Day1 then went sideways. This year, they guided down earnings...

Travis Lundy

KLAC. Priced For Perfection In 2025 & Beyond

Q124 revenue $2.36 billion, -5% QoQ & -3% YoY. Current quarter guidance $2.5 billion, +6% QoQ, same YoY. China revenue rose to 42%, same as for...

William Keating

LRCX. Mounting Tailwinds Bode Well For 2025 & Beyond

Q124 revenues $3.79 billion, flat QoQ and YoY. Current quarter revenue guide also flat. China revenues up 2 points to 42%. I can see this becoming...

William Keating

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Semiconductor WFE Q124 Revenues, China's Share & What Are They Doing With All Those Tools?

Global semiconductor equipment billings amounted to $26.4 billion in Q124, down 6% QoQ and down 2% YoY. China's annual WFE spending has roughly...

William Keating

Earnings Subsystems (MKSI, ICHR, UCTT), Semicap (ONTO, CAMT, AMAT, TOELY), and SiTime

The final week of earnings other than Nvidia. Subsystems did the results you should expect, and MKSI did a questionable (and understandable)...

Fabricated Knowledge

Another HUGE Ushio (6925) Buyback After A HUGE Buyback Last Year

Last May Ushio guided down earnings but announced a huge buyback. The stock popped on Day1 then went sideways. This year, they guided down earnings...

Travis Lundy

KLAC. Priced For Perfection In 2025 & Beyond

Q124 revenue $2.36 billion, -5% QoQ & -3% YoY. Current quarter guidance $2.5 billion, +6% QoQ, same YoY. China revenue rose to 42%, same as for...

William Keating

LRCX. Mounting Tailwinds Bode Well For 2025 & Beyond

Q124 revenues $3.79 billion, flat QoQ and YoY. Current quarter revenue guide also flat. China revenues up 2 points to 42%. I can see this becoming...

William Keating