Semiconductor supplier ASM International (ASMI) said it expects revenue of €500-530 million ($567-$601 million) in Q1 2022, with a further steady increase in Q2 revenue compared to Q1.
ASMI makes semiconductor equipment used to deposit atom-thin layers of material on computer chips during their manufacturing.
“We expect revenue in the second half of 2022 to be higher than the level in the first half. The wafer fab equipment (WFE) market is forecasted to increase by a mid to high teens percentage in 2022. We expect to outperform the WFE market in 2022,” said ASM International CEO Benjamin Loh. “Looking at the first half of the year of 2022, supply chain conditions are expected to remain tight.”
ASM International said new orders of €645 million for the fourth quarter 2021 increased by 70 percent as reported compared to the same period last year.
Year-on-year revenue growth for the fourth quarter 2021 was 40 percent registering €433 million. For the full year, revenue grew 34 percent to €1,730 million, led by strong growth in ALD and Epi product lines.
ASM International said gross profit margin of 47.0 percent was higher compared to 45.2 percent in the same quarter last year.
Operating result for the fourth quarter 2021 improved from €78 million last year to €131 million this year mainly driven by strong revenue growth.
Semiconductor groups such as Intel and Applied Materials, hit by supply chain challenges, expect the recovery to take longer despite rising global demand for chips used in products ranging from cars to computers and smartphones, Reuters reported.
Smaller peer BE Semiconductor forecast a rise in first-quarter revenue, as the chipmaking equipment supplier expects to benefit from leading chipmakers’ plans to boost investments.
