Soitec shares surge on strong AI demand

Investing.com — Shares of French semiconductor materials company Soitec (EPA:SOIT) jumped over 16% on Thursday after the company delivered a reassuring set of first-half fiscal 2025 results and reiterated its full-year guidance. 

In the second quarter, Soitec reported sales that were in line with expectations but down 11% year-on-year at constant currency. 

Mobile sales, which make up a substantial portion of the company’s revenue, declined by 25% year-on-year in constant currency, missing consensus by 7%. 

However, the Edge & Cloud AI segment delivered standout performance, with sales surging 66% year-on-year and exceeding expectations by 20%. 

Analysts at UBS flagged that this growth was fueled by increased demand for FD-SOI wafers used in edge AI devices and Photonics-SOI wafers for AI data centers, reflecting broader trends in artificial intelligence adoption.

Despite pressure on gross margins, which fell to 30% and came in below consensus estimates of 32%, Soitec’s EBITDA margin of 33% slightly exceeded expectations. 

Free cash flow was also a bright spot, coming in at €35 million, aided by a working capital inflow.

The company’s reaffirmation of its fiscal 2025 guidance provided further reassurance to the market. 

Soitec expects full-year revenue to remain stable at constant currency compared to fiscal 2024, implying a significant rebound in the second half driven by the recovery of RF-SOI sales as inventory corrections ease. 

Soitec maintained its FY’25 EBITDA margin target at 35%, while revising its capital expenditure guidance slightly lower, from €250 million to €230 million.

UBS analysts noted that the company is on track for an 89% sequential revenue rebound in the second half, far surpassing typical seasonal growth of around 30%.

The company also announced the appointment of Frederic Lissalde, CEO of BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA), as chairman of the board, a move seen as strengthening governance.