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Veeco Instruments Inc (VECO) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Semiconductor Revenue and ...

In This Article:

  • Full Year Revenue: $717 million, an 8% increase from the prior year.

  • Semiconductor Business Revenue: $467 million, up 13% year-over-year, comprising 65% of total revenue.

  • Non-GAAP Operating Income: $116 million, a 6% increase from the prior year.

  • Non-GAAP EPS: $1.74, an increase from the prior year.

  • Q4 Revenue: $182 million, a 5% year-over-year increase.

  • Q4 Non-GAAP Operating Income: $27 million.

  • Q4 Non-GAAP EPS: $0.41.

  • Gross Margin (Full Year): 43.3%, consistent with the prior year.

  • Operating Expenses (Full Year): $194 million, an 8% increase driven by R&D investment.

  • Net Income (Full Year): $104 million with a tax expense of $15 million.

  • Order Backlog: Approximately $410 million, down $80 million from the prior year.

  • Cash and Short-term Investments: $345 million at the end of the quarter.

  • Cash Flow from Operations (Full Year): $64 million.

  • Q1 2025 Revenue Outlook: Expected between $155 million and $175 million.

  • Q1 2025 Gross Margin Outlook: Approximately 42%.

  • Q1 2025 Net Income Outlook: Between $16 million and $22 million.

  • Q1 2025 Diluted EPS Outlook: Between $0.26 and $0.36.

Release Date: February 12, 2025

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

Positive Points

  • Veeco Instruments Inc (NASDAQ:VECO) achieved record revenue in its semiconductor business, growing 13% year-over-year.

  • The company successfully shipped an LSA system for high-volume production of 2-nanometer gate all around logic chips.

  • Veeco's advanced packaging business is expected to double in 2025, driven by wet processing and lithography.

  • The company is a market leader in laser annealing and ion beam deposition technologies, critical for leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing.

  • Veeco's non-GAAP operating income grew 6% to $116 million, with diluted non-GAAP EPS increasing to $1.74.

Negative Points

  • Revenue from the compound semiconductor segment declined, representing only 11% of total revenue.

  • The order backlog decreased by approximately $80 million, primarily due to a decline in the data storage business.

  • Gross margin for the fourth quarter was below guidance at 41.5%, impacted by product mix and evaluation program spending.

  • China's revenue is expected to decline in 2025, with a significant drop anticipated in the second half of the year.

  • The company faces headwinds in the data storage market, with expectations of a $60 million to $70 million decline in revenue for 2025.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide more details on the expected decline in China revenue for Q1 2025? A: John Kiernan, CFO, stated that Veeco expects China revenue in the first half of 2025 to be about 25% to 30% of total revenue, down from 36% in 2024. This decline is slightly more weighted to Q1 than Q2.