Soitec SA (SLOIF) H1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges with Strategic Growth ...

In This Article:

  • Revenue: EUR401 million, down 15% year-on-year.

  • EBITDA Margin: 33%.

  • Operating Cash Flow: EUR129 million.

  • Free Cash Flow: EUR35 million.

  • Net Debt: EUR51 million.

  • Gross Margin: 30%, down 6 points year-on-year.

  • Net Income: EUR14 million, representing around 4% of revenue.

  • Mobile Communications Revenue: Down 32% year-on-year.

  • Automotive and Industrial Revenue: Down 20% year-on-year.

  • Edge and Cloud AI Revenue Growth: Up 57%.

  • CapEx Guidance: Adjusted to around EUR230 million from EUR250 million.

Release Date: November 21, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Soitec SA (SLOIF) reported a strong operating cash flow of EUR129 million, supporting a positive free cash flow of EUR35 million in H1 '25.

  • The company maintained a robust EBITDA margin of 33%, demonstrating resilience despite a 15% year-on-year revenue decline.

  • Significant rebound in the mobile communications division, with Q2 '25 revenue up 164% over Q1 '25, indicating recovery from inventory absorption issues.

  • Continued investment in R&D and capacity expansion, with a focus on new product development and agile capacity deployment.

  • Edge and Cloud AI division grew by 57%, driven by strong demand for low-power computing devices and edge AI applications.

Negative Points

  • Revenue for H1 '25 was down 15% year-on-year, primarily due to RF-SOI under-shipment amid inventory absorption in the smartphone value chain.

  • Automotive and industrial revenue declined by 20% year-on-year, impacted by market weakness and inventory adjustments.

  • Gross margin decreased by 6 points year-on-year to 30%, affected by higher depreciation expenses and underutilization of SOI fabs.

  • Net income was EUR14 million, representing only 4% of revenue, reflecting lower fab loading and revenue levels.

  • The company faces a two-year delay in SmartSiC qualifications, impacting the timeline for volume production and market penetration.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you confirm the current inventory levels at foundries for mobile communications and whether there will be no massive under-shipment in the second half? Also, when do you expect to enter volume production for SmartSiC? A: Inventory levels are stabilizing around a one-year average, which supports a positive trend for RF-SOI in the second half. We anticipate a progressive recovery. For SmartSiC, there is a two-year delay in qualifications, but we are ready to ramp up production. We have a fourth customer in qualification and 35 prospects evaluating SmartSiC.