1. Wafer wafer prices are expected to rise by at least 20% this year
The semiconductor silicon fab Taiwan Seosike Co., Ltd. held a board of directors on the 22nd. It passed its fourth quarter and last year's financial results last year. It earned 0.92 yuan per share in the fourth quarter of last year, and it earned 2.24 billion yuan in net profit after tax last year. 2.89 yuan, Tongchuang 10 years high.
Taiwan Seiketsu's operations benefited from the quarterly increase in the price of silicon wafers. Last year, the consolidated revenue reached 12.713 billion yuan, an increase of 17.8% year-on-year, and the gross profit margin was 26.7%, 14.1 percentage points higher than the previous year. Last year's tax After the net profit of 2.24 billion yuan, an annual increase of 2.1 times, 2.89 yuan per share of net profit.
According to market adjustment agencies, last year, semiconductor silicon wafers showed supply-demand imbalances quarter by quarter from the beginning of the year, bringing the offer price up about 15% to 20%. It is expected that this year's quotation will increase by at least 20%. Taiwan Seiketsu has taken the lead in the first quarter of this year. The increase in selling prices, including 12-inch wafers rose by more than 15%, 8-inch prices also rose above 10%, follow-up also has room for price increases, so the first quarter profit will jump dramatically.
Silicon wafer manufacturers emphasized that the recent strong demand for silicon wafers has been boosted. The main reason is that mainland plants have started mass production. Recent shortages have spread from test strips to polished wafers and other types of products, including wafer foundry companies such as TSMC. Factory, finalized the annual contract volume, and pulled prices.
The wafer fab Wang Hong said earlier that silicon wafer fabs have already increased the price of Wanghong by nearly 30% this year. Wanghong will also pass on the cost to customers. However, it has mastered the source of silicon wafers throughout the year and is free from being out of stock. Economic Daily
2.8-inch wafer foundry capacity tight IC manufacturers find export prices
The 8-inch wafer foundry contraction period gradually lengthened for four to five months, and there is a phenomenon of deferred in the near future. As a result, the supply of power management chips is tight, and the price of the power management chip factory of MediaTek strives to gain price and assist.
The demand for 8-inch wafer foundry is in short supply. Taking the world advanced as an example, the company will have full production capacity by May, and many IC design price increases will have the opportunity to get the production capacity. The main source of customers is power management and other applications. Next, the world's off-season in this season is not waning, and the profit for the whole year will increase by two digits.
As the cost of wafers continues to increase, and production capacity is tight, IC design companies find export prices. Since the recent urgent orders are more, the market has been announced, the foundry has informed customers that the delivery period for the third quarter will be extended. The industry believes that this wave of wafer costs will increase and production capacity will be tight. It will undoubtedly provide the best bargaining conditions for chip makers that have not been able to raise prices in the past. Economic Daily
3. Universal Crystal's capacity of more than 70% before 2019 has been booked
According to a micro-network news report, the US Department of Foreign Investment recently stated that Global Wafer's 300mm silicon wafer prices have increased by 20% since the first quarter of 2017, and 200mm silicon wafer prices have increased by more than 10% since the third quarter of 2017. Management Watching all sizes of silicon wafers will continue to rise to 2019, and implies that 70% to 80% of production capacity before 2019 has been ordered by customers.
Universal Crystal benefited from the growth of semiconductor demand, coupled with the gradual opening of production capacity in wafer factories in mainland China, which pushed up the supply and demand of silicon wafers, and also contributed to the success of Global Crystal's operations last year. Revenue, operating net profit, net profit after tax and per Shares of pure equity, have written record highs in history.
Looking into the future, according to the current market outlook, the semiconductor industry will continue to increase the demand for silicon wafers. In addition to the current production of semiconductor silicon wafers, Global Crystal will also invest in the next generation of new products, SiC, and GaN. Production, in response to customer-end new products, including the rapid growth trend of 5G and automotive components applications.
4. Expenditures for Mainland Chip Equipment Will Surge
The Nikkei Asia Review reported on March 21st that if China’s emerging semiconductor industry is considered as a country, its GDP growth performance in recent years (about 20%) will be disdain for all countries in the world. IC Coffee Founder Hu Yunwang stated in the interview that 5 The development of chips in China was an unpopular industry a few years ago. Few people are willing to invest in it. However, wafer engineers are one of the most fashionable occupations. Hu Yunwang said: “If a country wants to be strong, it must have its own The wafer industry. This is the current consensus."
Bernstein Research predicts that Chinese manufacturers’ semiconductor fab equipment spending will double from US$3.6 billion in 2017 to US$7.1 billion in 2018, and further increase to US$11 billion in 2019. The Chinese market will account for the proportion of global equipment spending. Jumped from 15% in 2017 to 26% in 2019. Ding Wenwu, President of China National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (short: Big Fund) Co., Ltd., said at the SEMICON Chian Investment Forum in Shanghai on the 15th that the development of the semiconductor industry Is China's top priority.
The Federal Association of China (FED) announced on March 16 that in February 2018, the US semiconductor and related electronic components index increased 8.2% (monthly 2.1%) to 151.8 (2012 = 100, seasonally adjusted), creating 1972 Since the beginning of the year, statistics have reached a new high. The annual increase has been the highest since January 2015.
The Castrol XQ global winner quote system shows that the top two gainers of the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose in March 21st were chip equipment stocks.
Applied materials rose 2.62% to $60.78, approaching the record high of $61.61 hit on March 9. Semiconductor manufacturing company Lam Research Corp. rose 2.35% to $224.28 on the 21st. , Approaching the highest record set on March 12 ($228.65).
Shares of Semiconductor Semiconductor Index constituents, European semiconductor equipment giant ASML Holding NV ADS (ASML.US) rose 0.53% to $213.73 on the 21st, approaching the record high reached on March 15th (US$214.44) .
SMART Global Holdings (SGH.US) rose 4.36% to $46.88 on March 21. It was the highest closing record since the first public offering (IPO) in May 2017, and it has risen 39.1% so far this year.
SGH announced on March 9 that after the close of the US stock market on March 22, it will announce its financial report and outlook for the second quarter of 2018. SGH is the parent company of memory maker and modular maker SMART Modular Technologies, Inc.
According to the Thomson Reuters quotation system, Siltronic AG, a German silicon wafer foundry, jumped 4.48% to close at 159.85 euros on the 21st, setting a record close. It was up 42.5% from the closing price on March 2. The cumulative increase over the past year was as high as 188.01. %.
Siltronic CEO Christoph von Plotho said on March 5th that the price of silicon wafers is expected to continue to rise this year, but the increase should be smaller than 2017. He also mentioned that customers want to ensure wafer production in advance, so Siltronic is in favorable conditions. Signed some long-term contracts.
5. Thanks to MOSFET, the demand for epitaxy silicon wafers is strong, and Han Lei can make profit this year.
In 2014, Han Lei, which was transformed into a holding company, advanced investment control, benefited from Han Lei Technology, which specializes in wafer foundry business, and Jia Jing, which is dominated by epitaxial silicon wafer products. Finally, the fourth quarter profit, driving the whole year turning profitable. Han Lei Investment Control and chairman of Jing Jing Xu Jianhua optimistic that, with Han Lei technology product structure adjustment effect, Jiajing production capacity is also full, Han Lei investment control the first quarter Revenues will grow 12% to 15% over the same period in 2017, and gross margins will also increase to 12% to 13%. Full-year revenues will grow at double-digit rates. Market expectations for bitcoin mining, electric vehicles and data center terminals The market demand is strong. With the continuous supply shortage of epitaxy silicon wafers, Han Lei’s full-year revenue and profit-taking will continue to rise quarter by quarter. We will not be able to shake off the loss at a low level and the profits will rise. Han Lei Investment Control and its subsidiaries The Law Society was held on the 21st. Han Lei Investment Co., Ltd. reported a revenue of NT$5.274 billion in 2017, an increase of 20.46% from 2016's 4.278 billion yuan, a gross margin of 11%, a post-tax loss of 45.34 million yuan, and an EPS loss of 0.59 yuan. The loss was reduced from the previous three years. During the fourth quarter, the EPS was paying 0.11 yuan, which was the first single-quarter profit since the listing. Looking forward to the first quarter, Xu Jianhua stated that Han Lei's investment control strategy includes improving its product diversification process, focusing on high-growth and niche-based application markets, integrating group resources and enhancing competitiveness, and continuously expanding capital expenditures to meet customer needs. Quarterly revenue was affected by the reduction of working days and the annual maintenance of the plant area. The quarterly growth rate was about 8%. The annual growth rate was only 12~15%. The gross profit margin slightly increased to 12~13%, and the profitability rate was 2.5~3.5%. Crystal has benefited from the shortage of epitaxy silicon wafers. With continuous escalation of quotations, revenue for 2017 was 3.342 billion yuan, gross margin was 14%, net profit after tax was 180 million yuan, and EPS was 0.74 yuan. Sun Jingzong, general manager of Jiajing, pointed out that Jiajing’s current production capacity is full. It is estimated that the first quarter revenue will grow 15-18% compared to the same period in 2017. The gross profit margin is about 14-16%, and the profit-earning ratio is between 7.5-9.5%. The market expects that the silicon wafer will be 2018 The circle will continue to be a market that is in short supply, and will continue to expand its production capacity. Jiajing will grow quarter by quarter. The annual revenue growth rate should exceed 20%. However, the expansion of production will also result in an increase in costs, and the profit contribution will not be able to jump. In 2019, there will be significant performance. Han Lei Technology, which focuses on foundry business, will generate revenue for 2017. 2.145 billion yuan, gross profit margin was 4%, after-tax loss was 186 million yuan, and EPS was 1.2 yuan, which was significantly more converging than the previous two years. Xu Jianhua stated that as the demand for IDM plants decreased, Han Lei launched a comprehensive product structure adjustment strategy during the adjustment period. To fill the production capacity and therefore to accept orders with lower gross profit, it affects the performance of profitability. With the result of adjustments, the higher gross profit of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)-based compounds, as well as TVS, vehicle use, etc. The proportion of products to revenue has been increasing year by year. In 2018, the gross profit margin of foundry business is expected to improve significantly and gradually get rid of market price competition. The market expects that Han Lei Technology will be fully loaded in the first quarter of 2018, and the gold and oxygen half from international manufacturers Influx of orders such as field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), revenue, and profit have the opportunity to set a new high in a single season. Xu Jianhua also mentioned that currently, Jiajing’s production capacity is full, and customers are chasing many orders. Han Lei Technology is also an order-sending company. Into the overall market demand is very strong, such as from car electronics, mining, data center market and other power-chip related requirements are beyond expectations, Le watched Han Lei investment control full-year performance. DIGITIMES