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In the third quarter, X-FAB’s automotive business grew 8% year-on-year, while automotive bookings weakened due to year-end inventory adjustments. X-FAB’s industrial and medical business decreased 41% and 29% year-on-year respectively. Current market trends and uncertainties have led to destocking activities and delays across the entire supply chain, however, order intake in the industrial and medical end markets picked up strongly in the third quarter. The CCC (Consumer, Communication & Computer) business, after bottoming out in recent quarters, grew by 13% quarter-on-quarter with strong bookings and a book-to-bill of 2.06.

X-FAB’s CMOS business declined slightly year-on-year. Demand for X-FAB’s popular 180nm CMOS platform remained healthy and new prototypes were started for future high-volume applications in X-FAB’s 110nm CMOS process. In line with market trends, X-FAB also suffered from inventory corrections, particularly noticeable in the 350nm CMOS technology. The 0.6-micron CMOS technologies on 150mm wafers, for which demand had significantly declined over recent years, recorded an uptick in bookings after X-FAB had announced the discontinuation of these technologies as per end of 2026. The decision was taken to support the ongoing transition to the microsystems business at the site in Erfurt, Germany. Customers responded with high order volumes to ensure supply in the medium term, while initiating activities to work on redesigns for next-generation products. The upturn in the 0.6-micron business is expected to contribute positively to revenues from the fourth quarter onwards.

Third quarter silicon carbide sales continued to decline in a persistently weak market environment and decreased 60% year-on-year. Visibility remains low but SiC development activities have been encouraging, especially for next-generation technologies that come with improved device performance and a 30% increase in dies per wafer. Combined with the recent reduction in SiC substrate prices, this represents a potential 40% cost improvement for the final SiC device, fostering the further adoption of silicon carbide. As soon as the SiC power market picks up, these new high-performance designs will contribute to the future growth of X-FAB’s silicon carbide business.

In the third quarter, X-FAB’s microsystems business recorded a decline of 11% year-on-year, reflecting current market weaknesses. Inventory adjustments in the automotive industry and delays in new model launches have particularly impacted the microsystems business. The medical end market, typically a strong driver of microsystems sales, has also been affected by destocking, but is expected to contribute positively in the future due to healthy bookings and high demand applications.

Quarterly prototyping revenues totaled USD 23.6 million*, down 14% year-on-year and up 12% against the previous quarter.

X-FAB adjusts its full-year revenue guidance to USD 822-832 million in response to current weaknesses and the impact on fourth quarter revenues of an operational incident at the Malaysian factory. Required rework of affected material will shift approximately USD 15-20 million of sales into next year.

The fundamental drivers of X-FAB's business remain intact. These include the growth of semiconductor content in cars, the "electrification of everything" to drive the decarbonization of the world, and the digitization in the medical sector to make healthcare more efficient in an era of aging populations. X-FAB's comprehensive set of technologies and expertise enable customers to develop world-leading solutions for the most important challenges facing the world today. X-FAB's business is expected to return to robust growth once the current destocking cycle is completed.

Prototyping and production revenue* per quarter and end market:

Operations update

In the third quarter, X-FAB continued its capacity expansion program with the focus on its popular 180nm and 110nm CMOS technologies at X-FAB France and X-FAB Sarawak. The newly constructed cleanroom at X‑FAB’s Malaysian site is now ready for the first equipment to be moved in.

The expansion of CMOS capacity is also critical to support X-FAB's microsystems business. Microsystems are based on a CMOS wafer to which specialized MEMS layers are added or systems are integrated at wafer level. With the planned discontinuation of the 0.6-micron CMOS business, the Erfurt site is well on track to entirely focus on the manufacturing of complex microsystems in the future.

The SiC capacity expansion at the Texas fab, which has been slowed in line with current demand weakness, will be resumed as soon as the SiC market recovers and long-term customer commitments require additional capacity. At the end of the quarter, approximately half of the SiC capacity targeted in X-FAB's three-year capacity expansion plan had been installed. In addition, X-FAB aims to further increase the proportion of customers who source their own SiC raw wafers and consign them to X-FAB, resulting in a lower total billing as there is less pass-through for substrates sourced by X-FAB. Due to both the lower installed SiC capacity and the decision to optimize the proportion of customer consigned SiC wafers, the original SiC revenue target of USD 300-350 million in 2026 is no longer achievable. This will result in changes to the timing and product mix of X-FAB's growth path.

Total capital expenditures in the third quarter came in at USD 149.8 million, thereof about two thirds related to the expansion of X-FAB Sarawak. X-FAB reiterates its capex projection for the full year of 2024 in the amount of USD 550 million.

An operational incident at the Malaysian factory caused a three-day production slowdown in the third quarter. This has been fully resolved and rework of the affected material is underway.

Financial update

Third quarter EBITDA was USD 50.3 million with an EBITDA margin of 24.4%. Excluding the positive impact from revenues recognized over time, the EBITDA margin of the third quarter would have been 23.5%.

Profitability is not affected by exchange rate fluctuations as X-FAB’s business is naturally hedged. At a constant USD/Euro exchange rate of 1.09 as experienced in the previous year’s quarter, the EBITDA margin would have been 0.1 percentage points lower.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the third quarter amounted to USD 315.9 million.

Management comments

Rudi De Winter, CEO of X-FAB Group, said: "While unfavorable market developments and related inventory adjustments are impacting our business in the short term, the long-term outlook remains positive. I am confident in the unique technologies we offer and the high-growth end markets we serve putting us in the right position to address today's key challenges and deliver sustainable growth over the long term. As soon as the market begins to recover, order patterns will change rapidly. With the progress we are making with our capacity expansion program, we will be well prepared to meet our customers' needs, especially for our 180nm technologies, and return to solid growth."

X-FAB Quarterly Conference Call

X-FAB’s third quarter results will be discussed in a live conference call/webcast on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 6.30 p.m. CEST. The conference call will be in English.

Please register here for the audiocast (listen only).

Please register here for the conference call (listen and ask questions).

The fourth quarter 2024 results will be communicated on February 6, 2025.

About X-FAB

X-FAB is a global foundry group providing a comprehensive set of specialty technologies and design IP to enable its customers to develop world-leading semiconductor products that are manufactured at X-FAB's six wafer fabs located in Malaysia, Germany, France, and the United States. With its expertise in analog/mixed-signal technologies, microsystems/MEMS and silicon carbide (SiC), X-FAB is the development and manufacturing partner for its customers, primarily serving the automotive, industrial and medical end markets. X-FAB has approximately 4,500 employees and has been listed on Euronext Paris since April 2017 (XFAB). For more information, please visit www.xfab.com.

Forward-looking information

This press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements regarding or based upon our management’s current intentions, beliefs or expectations relating to, among other things, X-FAB’s future results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, or developments in the industry in which we operate. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied thereby. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding trends or current activities should not be taken as a report that such trends or activities will continue in the future. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless legally required. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

The information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice. No re-report or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the fairness, accuracy, reasonableness, or completeness of the information contained herein and no reliance should be placed on it.

*excluding impact from revenue recognized over time according to IFRS 15

Condensed consolidated statement of profit and loss

Amounts in the financial tables provided in this press release are rounded to the nearest thousand except when otherwise indicated, rounding differences may occur.

*excluding impact from revenue recognized over time in accordance with IFRS 15

Condensed consolidated statement of financial position

Condensed consolidated statement of cash flows

Condensed consolidated statement of cash flows – con’t

 

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Contacts

X-FAB Press Contact
Uta Steinbrecher
Investor Relations
X-FAB Silicon Foundries
+49-361-427-6489
uta.steinbrecher@xfab.com