As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here's a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today we are looking at the semiconductor manufacturing stocks, starting with Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI).
The semiconductor industry is driven by demand for advanced electronic products like smartphones, PCs, servers and data storage. The growth of data and technologies like artificial intelligence, 5G networks and smart cars are also creating a next wave of growth for the industry. To keep up with ever changing customer needs requires new tools that can design, fabricate and test at ever smaller sizes and more complex architectures, and that is driving the demand for semiconductor capital manufacturing equipment.
The 14 semiconductor manufacturing stocks we track reported a slower Q4; on average, revenues beat analyst consensus estimates by 2.62%, while on average next quarter revenue guidance was 3.47% above consensus. Investors abandoned cash burning companies since high interest rates will make it harder to raise capital and while some of the semiconductor manufacturing stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have not been spared, with share prices declining 8.09% since the previous earnings results, on average.
Best Q4: Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI)
Headquartered in Israel, Nova (NASDAQ: NVMI) is a provider of quality control systems used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Nova reported revenues of $151.2 million, up 24.5% year on year, beating analyst expectations by 2.31%. It was a strong quarter for the company, with very optimistic guidance for the next quarter and a significant improvement in inventory levels.
"The fourth quarter was a strong resolution to another record-breaking year for Nova, characterized by notable annual increase in revenue and profitability. Despite the volatility in the markets, the company was able to perform well during the fourth quarter, highlighting the strength of our diversified and agile business model," said Eitan Oppenhaim, President and CEO.
The stock is up 4.36% since the results and currently trades at $95.19.
Is now the time to buy Nova ? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.
Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB)
Sporting a global footprint of facilities, Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) is a manufacturer of photomasks, templates used to transfer patterns onto semiconductor wafers.
Photronics reported revenues of $211.1 million, up 11.2% year on year, beating analyst expectations by 5.02%. It was a mixed quarter for the company, with a significant improvement in gross margin, but revenue guidance for the next quarter missing analysts' expectations.
The stock is down 12.6% since the results and currently trades at $15.76.
Is now the time to buy Photronics? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.
Weakest Q4: Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL)
Moving away from a low margin storage device management chips in one of the biggest semiconductor business model pivots of the past decade, Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a fabless designer of special purpose data processing and networking chips used by data centers, communications carriers, enterprises, and autos.
Marvell Technology reported revenues of $1.42 billion, up 5.62% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a weak quarter for the company, with underwhelming revenue guidance for the next quarter and a decline in operating margin.
The stock is down 13.6% since the results and currently trades at $39.89.
Read our full analysis of Marvell Technology's results here.
Amtech (NASDAQ:ASYS)
Focusing on Silicon Carbide and Power Semiconductor sectors, Amtech Systems (NASDAQ:ASYS) produces machinery and related chemicals needed for manufacturing semiconductors.
Amtech reported revenues of $21.6 million, down 21.1% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a weak quarter for the company, with declining revenue and operating margin.
The stock is down 11.2% since the results and currently trades at $9.52.
Read our full, actionable report on Amtech here, it's free.
IPG Photonics (NASDAQ:IPGP)
Both a designer and manufacturer of most of its products, IPG Photonics (NASDAQ:IPGP) is a provider of high-performance fiber lasers that are used for cutting, welding and processing raw materials.
IPG Photonics reported revenues of $333.5 million, down 8.49% year on year, beating analyst expectations by 4.95%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with declining revenue and underwhelming guidance for the next quarter.
The stock is up 3.12% since the results and currently trades at $116.09.
Read our full, actionable report on IPG Photonics here, it's free.
The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned