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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<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

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

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

External broker reports(aggregated public sources), CMB International

CMB International

External broker reports(aggregated public sources)

Incorporated in Hong Kong, supported by the mainland and targeting in global market, CMB International Capital Corporation Limited (“CMBI”) is an integrated financial institution providing comprehensive and professional services. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Bank ("CMB"), by leveraging on the Group’s synergy and coordination in domestic and overseas markets, as well as CMB’s strong resources and outstanding social reputation, CMBI and its subsidiaries have been actively implementing diversified business strategies and set up an overall layout of main business segments including Corporate Finance, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Global Markets and Structured Finance, etc. Adhering to the philosophy of “being clients oriented and increasing our own values by the way of creating value for clients”, CMBI endeavors to provide quality and integrated financial services to institutional, corporate and individual customers both domestic and overseas including Hong Kong IPO sponsorship and underwriting, share placement and rights issue for listed companies, financial advisors, bonds issuance services, asset management, direct investment, wealth management, equity sales and trading, etc.

<ul><li>SME (semiconductor manufacturing equipment) is a cyclical industry.</li><li>According to SEMI, the sector’s sales reached US$106bn in 2023, making up ~20% of total semiconductor market sales (US$527bn).</li><li>The market is expected to grow 3% in 2024 and rebound significantly by 18% in 2025 (per SEMI). </li></ul>Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

SME (semiconductor manufacturing equipment) is a cyclical industry.According to SEMI, the sector’s sales reached US$106bn in 2023, making up ~20% of total semiconductor market sales (US$527bn).The market is expected to grow 3% in 2024 and rebound significantly by 18% in 2025 (per SEMI). Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

Semi - Global SME Investment Set to Accelerate on Tech Advancements

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

Semi - Global SME Investment Set to Accelerate on Tech Advancements

SME (semiconductor manufacturing equipment) is a cyclical industry. According to SEMI, the sector’s sales reached US$106bn in 2023

CMB International

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