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BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. Announces Q3-24 Results

Q3-24 Revenue of € 156.6 Million and Net Income of € 46.8 Million Up 27.0% and 33.7%, Respectively, vs. Q3-23
Orders of € 151.8 Million Up 19.2% vs. Q3-23. Hybrid Bonding Adoption Continues

YTD-24 Revenue of € 454.1 Million and Net Income of € 122.7 Million
Orders of € 464.8 Million Up 21.7% vs. YTD-23

DUIVEN, the Netherlands, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (the “Company” or “Besi”) (Euronext Amsterdam: BESI; OTC markets: BESIY), a leading manufacturer of assembly equipment for the semiconductor industry, today announced its results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Key Highlights Q3-24

  • Revenue of € 156.6 million up 3.6% vs. Q2-24 and 27.0% vs. Q3-23 due to increased demand by computing end user markets for hybrid bonding, photonics and other AI applications partially offset by ongoing weakness in automotive and Chinese end user markets
  • Orders of € 151.8 million up 19.2% vs. Q3-23 due to increased hybrid bonding orders. Down 18.0% vs. Q2-24 due primarily to fluctuations in hybrid bonding order patterns by customers
  • Gross margin of 64.7% decreased by 0.3 points vs. Q2-24 but was up 0.1 point vs. Q3-23. Gross margin development in the comparable periods was adversely affected by net forex influences
  • Net income of € 46.8 million increased 11.7% vs. Q2-24 and 33.7% vs. Q3-23 primarily due to higher revenue levels and cost control efforts which limited baseline operating expense growth. Q3-24 net margin rose to 29.9% vs. 27.7% in Q2-24 and 28.4% reported in Q3-23
  • Net cash of € 110.7 million at quarter-end increased by € 36.3 million (48.8%) vs. Q2-24 and € 20.5 million (22.7%) vs. Q3-23

Key Highlights YTD-24

  • Revenue of € 454.1 million increased 8.3% vs. YTD-23 principally due to higher demand by computing end user markets, particularly for hybrid bonding and photonics applications and by Taiwanese and Korean subcontractors partially offset by weakness in mobile and automotive markets
  • Orders of € 464.8 million increased 21.7% vs. YTD-23 due to increased demand for hybrid bonding and photonics applications partially offset by lower bookings for automotive and, to a lesser extent, mobile applications and ongoing weakness in Chinese end user markets
  • Gross margin of 65.6% increased by 0.8 points vs. YTD-23 due to more favorable AI advanced packaging product mix
  • Net income of € 122.7 million was approximately equal to YTD-23 as higher revenue and gross margins were offset by higher R&D spending and share-based compensation expense. Besi’s net margin decreased to 27.0% vs. 29.1% in YTD-23

Q4-24 Outlook

  • Revenue expected to be flat plus or minus 10% vs. the € 156.6 million reported in Q3-24 partially due to shipment delays by a customer for certain hybrid bonding systems scheduled for delivery in Q4-24
  • Gross margin expected to range between 63-65% vs. the 64.7% realized in Q3-24
  • Operating expenses expected to be flat to up 5% vs. the € 46.2 million reported in Q3-24
(€ millions, except EPS) Q3-
2024
Q2-
2024
Δ Q3-
2023
Δ YTD-
2024
YTD-
2023
Δ
Revenue 156.6 151.2 +3.6% 123.3 +27.0% 454.1 419.2 +8.3%
Orders 151.8 185.2 -18.0% 127.3 +19.2% 464.8 381.9 +21.7%
Gross Margin 64.7% 65.0% -0.3 64.6% +0.1 65.6% 64.8% +0.8
Operating Income 55.1 49.3 +11.8% 42.7 +29.0% 145.0 147.3 -1.6%
EBITDA 62.4 56.2 +11.0% 48.9 +27.6% 166.2 166.4 -0.1%
Net Income* 46.8 41.9 +11.7% 35.0 +33.7% 122.7 122.2 +0.4%
Net Margin* 29.9% 27.7% +2.2 28.4% +1.5 27.0% 29.1% -2.1
EPS (basic) 0.59 0.53 +11.3% 0.45 +31.1% 1.56 1.57 -0.6%
EPS (diluted) 0.59 0.53 +11.3% 0.45 +31.1% 1.55 1.54 +0.6%
Net Cash and Deposits 110.7 74.4 +48.8% 90.2 +22.7% 110.7 90.2 +22.7%

* Excluding share-based compensation expense, net income (net margin) would have been € 50.2 million (32.1%), € 48.5 million (32.1%) and € 36.6 million (29.7%) in Q3-24, Q2-24 and Q3-23, respectively and € 148.8 million (32.8%) in YTD-24 vs. € 137.6 million (32.8%) in YTD-23

Richard W. Blickman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Besi, commented:

“Besi reported significant growth in revenue, orders and net income in Q3-24 versus the comparable quarter of last year as we continue to benefit from strength in our advanced packaging product portfolio for AI applications despite continued headwinds in mainstream and Chinese assembly equipment markets. For the quarter, revenue of € 156.6 million and orders of € 151.8 million grew by 27.0% and 19.2%, respectively, versus Q3-23 due primarily to strong growth by computing end user markets including hybrid bonding, photonics and other AI applications. Such growth was partially offset by weakness in automotive and Chinese end user markets continuing trends we have experienced this year. Net income of € 46.8 million grew by € 11.8 million, or 33.7%, reflecting a number of favorable trends including increased advanced packaging system revenue, increased gross margins related thereto and better than forecast operating expense levels despite continued growth in R&D spending for next generation hybrid bonding and TCB systems.

For the first nine months of 2024, revenue of € 454.1 million and orders of € 464.8 million increased by 8.3% and 21.7%, respectively. Growth was due to significantly higher demand by computing end user markets, particularly for AI-related hybrid bonding and photonics applications and from Taiwanese and Korean subcontractors. Net income of € 122.7 million was approximately equal to YTD-23 as higher revenue and gross margins this year were offset by higher R&D spending in support of wafer level assembly development and share-based compensation expense.

Our financial position improved as well in Q3-24 with net cash increasing to € 110.7 million at quarter-end, an improvement of € 36.3 million (+48.8%) versus Q2-24 and € 20.5 million (+22.7%) versus Q3-23 despite increased share buy-back activity. Total cash and deposits at quarter end grew to € 637.4 million including net proceeds from our Senior Note offering in July 2024 which positions us favorably for anticipated growth in the next market upcycle.

During Q3-24, Besi continued to receive substantial orders for hybrid bonding systems from existing and new customers. At quarter-end, total revenue producing hybrid bonding orders since 2021 exceeded 100 systems highlighting the importance of this new technology for 3-D AI-related assembly applications. We anticipate additional orders in Q4-24 from a variety of customers as adoption continues to expand globally. We have also received increased interest for Besi’s TCB Next system from leading logic and memory customers which positions us favorably for anticipated growth in next generation 2.5D and HBM applications.

As such, we have taken steps recently to expand our advanced packaging production capacity in anticipation of future growth. In 2025, we intend to approximately double the cleanroom capacity of our Malaysian production facilities and increase R&D and process development for our hybrid bonding and thermo compression bonding capabilities and customer support at our Singapore facility.

Looking forward to Q4-24, we expect expanded adoption for hybrid bonding applications to be mitigated by ongoing weakness in mainstream assembly markets. For Q4-24, we forecast that revenue will be flat plus or minus 10% versus Q3-24 partially due to shipment delays by a customer for certain hybrid bonding systems scheduled for delivery in Q4-24. In addition, gross margins are anticipated to range between 63-65% based on our projected product mix. Aggregate operating expenses are forecast to be flat to up 5% versus Q3-24.”

Share Repurchase Activity

During the quarter, Besi repurchased approximately 230,000 of its ordinary shares at an average price of € 120.45 per share or a total of € 27.8 million. In August 2024, Besi completed its prior € 60 million share repurchase program and initiated a new € 100 million share repurchase program with an anticipated completion date of October 2025. Cumulatively, as of September 30, 2024, a total of € 7.0 million has been purchased under the new share repurchase program at an average price of € 110.55 per share. As of September 30, 2024, Besi held approximately 1.6 million shares in treasury equal to 2.0% of its shares outstanding.

Investor and media conference call
A conference call and webcast for investors and media will be held today at 4:00 pm CET (10:00 am EDT). To register for the conference call and/or to access the audio webcast and webinar slides, please visit www.besi.com.
   
Important Dates  
•  Publication Q4/Full year 2024 results February 20, 2025
•  Publication Q1-2025 results April 23, 2025
•  Besi’s 2025 AGM April 23, 2025
   

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as adopted by the European Union. Reference is made to the Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements as included in our 2023 Annual Report, which is available on www.besi.com.

Contacts:

Richard W. Blickman, President & CEO
Andrea Kopp-Battaglia, Senior Vice President Finance        
Claudia Vissers, Executive Secretary/IR coordinator
Edmond Franco, VP Corporate Development/US IR coordinator

Tel. (31) 26 319 4500                
[email protected]   

About Besi

Besi is a leading supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment for the global semiconductor and electronics industries offering high levels of accuracy, productivity and reliability at a low cost of ownership. The Company develops leading edge assembly processes and equipment for leadframe, substrate and wafer level packaging applications in a wide range of end-user markets including electronics, mobile internet, cloud server, computing, automotive, industrial, LED and solar energy. Customers are primarily leading semiconductor manufacturers, assembly subcontractors and electronics and industrial companies. Besi’s ordinary shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (symbol: BESI). Its Level 1 ADRs are listed on the OTC markets (symbol: BESIY) and its headquarters are located in Duiven, the Netherlands. For more information, please visit our website at www.besi.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements about management’s future expectations, plans and prospects of our business that constitute forward-looking statements, which are found in various places throughout the press release, including, but not limited to, statements relating to expectations of orders, net sales, product shipments, expenses, timing of purchases of assembly equipment by customers, gross margins, operating results and capital expenditures. The use of words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “can”, “intend”, “believes”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “forecast”, “will”, “would”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The financial guidance set forth under the heading “Outlook” contains such forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements represent our judgments and expectations concerning the development of our business, a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors could cause actual developments and results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, including any inability to maintain continued demand for our products; failure of anticipated orders to materialize or postponement or cancellation of orders, generally without charges; the volatility in the demand for semiconductors and our products and services; the extent and duration of the COVID-19 and other global pandemics and the associated adverse impacts on the global economy, financial markets, global supply chains and our operations as well as those of our customers and suppliers; failure to develop new and enhanced products and introduce them at competitive price levels; failure to adequately decrease costs and expenses as revenues decline; loss of significant customers, including through industry consolidation or the emergence of industry alliances; lengthening of the sales cycle; acts of terrorism and violence; disruption or failure of our information technology systems; consolidation activity and industry alliances in the semiconductor industry that may result in further increased customer concentration, inability to forecast demand and inventory levels for our products; the integrity of product pricing and protection of our intellectual property in foreign jurisdictions; risks, such as changes in trade regulations, conflict minerals regulations, currency fluctuations, political instability and war, associated with substantial foreign customers, suppliers and foreign manufacturing operations, particularly to the extent occurring in the Asia Pacific region where we have a substantial portion of our production facilities; potential instability in foreign capital markets; the risk of failure to successfully manage our diverse operations; any inability to attract and retain skilled personnel, including as a result of restrictions on immigration, travel or the availability of visas for skilled technology workers; those additional risk factors set forth in Besi’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other key factors that could adversely affect our businesses and financial performance contained in our filings and reports, including our statutory consolidated statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or alter our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(€ thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
  2024 2023 2024 2023
         
Revenue 156,570 123,320 454,060 419,227
Cost of sales 55,325 43,709 156,276 147,374
         
Gross profit 101,245 79,611 297,784 271,853
         
Selling, general and administrative expenses 27,318 23,310 97,473 81,679
Research and development expenses 18,874 13,614 55,296 42,907
         
Total operating expenses 46,192 36,924 152,769 124,586
         
Operating income 55,053 42,687 145,015 147,267
         
Financial expense, net 1,560 1,758 3,194 4,974
         
Income before taxes 53,493 40,929 141,821 142,293
         
Income tax expense 6,719 5,889 19,123 20,104
         
Net income 46,774 35,040 122,698 122,189
         
Net income per share – basic 0.59 0.45 1.56 1.57
Net income per share – diluted 0.59 0.45 1.55 1.54
         
Number of shares used in computing per share amounts:        
– basic 79,630,787 77,374,933 78,701,287 77,656,542
– diluted1 81,876,505 82,444,358 81,978,112 83,038,212

______________________
1) The calculation of diluted income per share assumes the exercise of equity settled share based payments and the conversion of all Convertible Notes outstanding

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(€ thousands) September
30, 2024

(unaudited)
June
30, 2024
(unaudited)
March
31, 2024
(unaudited)
December
31, 2023
(audited)
ASSETS        
         
Cash and cash equivalents 307,448 127,234 232,053 188,477
Deposits 330,000 130,000 215,000 225,000
Trade receivables 169,266 174,601 150,192 143,218
Inventories 104,103 99,291 99,384 92,505
Other current assets 44,731 36,346 34,756 39,092
         
Total current assets 955,548 567,472 731,385 688,292
         
Property, plant and equipment 44,220 43,571 41,328 37,516
Right of use assets 16,419 16,821 16,901 18,242
Goodwill 45,278 45,710 45,613 45,402
Other intangible assets 94,855 92,627 90,241 93,668
Deferred tax assets 8,610 9,517 11,444 12,217
Other non-current assets 1,316 1,239 1,252 1,216
         
Total non-current assets 210,698 209,485 206,779 208,261
         
Total assets 1,166,246 776,957 938,164 896,553
         
         
Current portion of long-term debt 2,241 3,033 984 3,144
Trade payables 49,211 51,620 52,382 46,889
Other current liabilities 87,739 73,023 100,606 87,200
         
Total current liabilities 139,191 127,676 153,972 137,233
         
Long-term debt 524,527 179,801 265,142 297,353
Lease liabilities 13,033 13,448 13,625 14,924
Deferred tax liabilities 11,619 10,396 12,136 12,959
Other non-current liabilities 12,449 11,352 12,914 12,671
         
Total non-current liabilities 561,628 214,997 303,817 337,907
         
Total equity 465,427 434,284 480,375 421,413
         
Total liabilities and equity 1,166,246 776,957 938,164 896,553

 

Consolidated Cash Flow Statements

(€ thousands) Three Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
  2024 2023 2024 2023
         
Cash flows from operating activities:        
Income before income tax 53,493 40,929 141,821 142,293
         
Depreciation and amortization 7,388 6,248 21,181 19,155
Share based payment expense 3,400 1,575 27,216 16,300
Financial expense, net 1,560 1,758 3,194 4,974
         
Changes in working capital 6,031 15,697 (43,914) (2,581)
Interest (paid) received (1,996) (2,649) (19,513) (27,948)
Income tax paid 2,156 1,582 7,218 3,075
         
Net cash provided by operating activities 72,032 65,140 137,203 155,268
         
Cash flows from investing activities:        
Capital expenditures (2,099) (1,990) (10,965) (5,448)
Capitalized development expenses (4,415) (4,700) (13,990) (15,341)
Repayments of (investments in) deposits (200,000) (105,000) (5,268)
         
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (206,514) (6,690) (129,955) (26,057)
         
Cash flows from financing activities:        
Proceeds from notes 350,000 350,000
Transaction costs related to notes (6,395) (6,395)
Payments of lease liabilities (1,080) (995) (3,186) (3,207)
Purchase of treasury shares (27,829) (45,537) (57,418) (190,264)
Dividends paid to shareholders (171,534) (222,109)
         
Net cash used in financing activities 314,696 (46,532) 111,467 (415,580)
         
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 180,214 11,918 118,715 (286,369)
Effect of changes in exchange rates on cash and
cash equivalents
130 256 (292)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the
period
127,234 192,977 188,477 491,686
         
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 307,448 205,025 307,448 205,025

  

Supplemental Information (unaudited)
(€ millions, unless stated otherwise)

REVENUE Q3-2024 Q2-2024 Q1-2024 Q4-2023 Q3-2023 Q2-2023 Q1-2023
                             
Per geography:                            
China 45.5 29% 57.5 38% 58.5 40% 62.0 39% 40.8 33% 64.9 40% 37.6 28%
Asia Pacific (excl. China) 51.6 33% 54.1 36% 43.6 30% 57.9 36% 42.3 34% 59.2 36% 58.2 44%
EU / USA / Other 59.5 38% 39.6 26% 44.2 30% 39.7 25% 40.2 33% 38.4 24% 37.6 28%
                             
Total 156.6 100% 151.2 100% 146.3 100% 159.6 100% 123.3 100% 162.5 100% 133.4 100%
                             
ORDERS Q3-2024 Q2-2024 Q1-2024 Q4-2023 Q3-2023 Q2-2023 Q1-2023
                             
Per geography:                            
China 45.4 30% 43.3 23% 51.1 40% 71.1 43% 46.0 36% 51.4 46% 35.5 25%
Asia Pacific (excl. China) 69.3 46% 72.0 39% 45.0 35% 36.6 22% 40.9 32% 33.2 29% 71.3 50%
EU / USA / Other 37.1 24% 69.9 38% 31.6 25% 58.7 35% 40.4 32% 28.0 25% 35.2 25%
                             
Total 151.8 100% 185.2 100% 127.7 100% 166.4 100% 127.3 100% 112.6 100% 142.0 100%
                             
Per customer type:                            
IDM 84.5 56% 122.4 66% 53.5 42% 82.7 50% 70.5 55% 60.5 54% 74.0 52%
Subcontractors 67.3 44% 62.8 34% 74.2 58% 83.7 50% 56.8 45% 52.1 46% 68.0 48%
                             
Total 151.8 100% 185.2 100% 127.7 100% 166.4 100% 127.3 100% 112.6 100% 142.0 100%
                             
HEADCOUNT Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023 Sep 30, 2023 Jun 30, 2023 Mar 31, 2023
                             
Fixed staff (FTE) 1,807 87% 1,783 86% 1,760 88% 1,736 93% 1,725 87% 1,689 86% 1,682 84%
Temporary staff (FTE) 271 13% 279 14% 236 12% 134 7% 248 13% 279 14% 312 16%
                             
Total 2,078 100% 2,062 100% 1,996 100% 1,870 100% 1,973 100% 1,968 100% 1,994 100%
                             
OTHER FINANCIAL DATA Q3-2024 Q2-2024 Q1-2024 Q4-2023 Q3-2023 Q2-2023 Q1-2023
                             
Gross profit 101.2 64.7% 98.3 65.0% 98.3 67.2% 103.9 65.1% 79.6 64.6% 106.6 65.6% 85.7 64.2%
                             
                             
Selling, general and admin expenses:                            
As reported 27.3 17.4% 30.5 20.2% 39.6 27.1% 24.3 15.2% 23.3 18.9% 29.4 18.1% 29.0 21.7%
Share-based compensation expense (3.4) -2.1% (6.9) -4.6% (16.9) -11.6% (2.8) -1.7% (1.6) -1.3% (5.5) -3.4% (9.3) -7.0%
                             
SG&A expenses as adjusted 23.9 15.3% 23.6 15.6% 22.7 15.5% 21.5 13.5% 21.7 17.6% 23.9 14.7% 19.7 14.8%
                             
                             
Research and development expenses:                            
As reported 18.9 12.1% 18.5 12.2% 17.9 12.2% 13.5 8.5% 13.6 11.0% 14.3 8.8% 15.0 11.2%
Capitalization of R&D charges 4.4 2.8% 4.9 3.2% 4.7 3.2% 5.7 3.6% 4.7 3.8% 5.3 3.3% 5.4 4.0%
Amortization of intangibles (3.9) -2.5% (3.6) -2.3% (3.6) -2.4% (3.3) -2.1% (3.3) -2.6% (3.5) -2.2% (3.5) -2.6%
                             
R&D expenses as adjusted 19.4 12.4% 19.8 13.1% 19.0 13.0% 15.9 10.0% 15.0 12.2% 16.1 9.9% 16.9 12.7%
                             
                             
Financial expense (income), net:                            
Interest income (5.2)   (3.0)   (4.0)   (3.6)   (2.9)   (3.1)   (2.6)  
Interest expense 5.7   2.1   2.8   3.0   2.8   2.9   2.9  
Net cost of hedging 1.9   1.4   1.6   1.7   1.7   2.0   1.6  
Foreign exchange effects, net (0.8)   0.5   0.2   (0.4)   0.2   (0.1)   (0.4)  
                             
Total 1.6   1.0   0.6   0.7   1.8   1.7   1.5  
                             
Gross cash 637.4   257.2   447.1   413.5   391.2   378.3   644.9  
                             
                             
Operating income (as % of net sales) 55.1 35.2% 49.3 32.6% 40.7 27.8% 66.1 41.4% 42.7 34.6% 62.9 38.7% 41.7 31.3%
                             
EBITDA (as % of net sales) 62.4 39.8% 56.2 37.2% 47.5 32.5% 72.7 45.6% 48.9 39.7% 69.3 42.6% 48.2 36.1%
                             
Net income (as % of net sales) 46.8 29.9% 41.9 27.7% 34.0 23.2% 54.9 34.4% 35.0 28.4% 52.6 32.4% 34.5 25.9%
                             
Effective tax rate 12.6%   13.0%   15.3%   16.1%   14.4%   14.0%   14.0%  
                             
                             
Income per share                            
Basic 0.59   0.53   0.44   0.71   0.45   0.68   0.44  
Diluted 0.59   0.53   0.44   0.68   0.45   0.66   0.44  
                             
Average shares outstanding (basic) 79,630,787 79,281,533 77,181,326 77,070,082 77,374,933 77,634,197 77,946,873
                             
Shares repurchased                            
Amount 27.8   14.8   14.8   23.1   45.5   66.9   77.7  
Number of shares 230,807 105,042 101,049 226,572 447,829 761,937 1,120,327
                             


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