BEIJING, CHINA – DECEMBER 04: A brand hangs on the constructing of the Beijing department of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) on December 4, 2020 in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG by way of Getty Images)
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images
China’s largest chipmaker SMIC on Thursday posted a 80% drop in third-quarter revenue as world demand weak spot hit foundries laborious.
Net earnings for the quarter ended September plunged 80% in comparison with a 12 months in the past — bigger than the 64% drop posted in second quarter 2019, in line with firm figures.
Here are SMIC’s third-quarter outcomes versus LSEG consensus estimates:
- Revenue: $1.621 billion, vs. $1.625 billion anticipated
- Net earnings: $93.98 million, vs. $165.1 million anticipated
SMIC, or Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co., posted income of $1.62 billion within the third quarter of the 12 months, down 15% year-on-year. Net earnings for that interval was $93.98 million, far under analysts’ expectations of $165.1 million.
SMIC is China’s largest foundry, manufacturing semiconductor chips that different companies design. The agency is seen as a key hope to Beijing’s ambitions to spice up its home semiconductor business and meet up with rivals like Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung — even because the U.S. continues to curb China’s chipmaking expertise and exports.
“In the China market, the high product inventory problem that started in the third quarter of last year has been mitigated and the inventory has decreased to a relatively healthy level,” mentioned SMIC in its earnings name Friday morning.
“But American and European customers’ inventories – they will remain at historically high levels,” mentioned the corporate.
An ongoing stoop in demand for sure chips that go into client merchandise, reminiscent of reminiscence, has badly impacted SMIC, in addition to the likes of its Asian rivals TSMC and Samsung.
Consumers have been reducing again on purchases of client units as inflation soared. As a end result, smartphone and PC makers have been grappling with extra chip inventories and costs for reminiscence chip costs fell.
SMIC, which additionally manufactures automotive chips, mentioned inventories for such chips are “now in relatively high level after a short supply for three years” and this has precipitated main prospects to “tighten their orders.”
“After more than one year’s ups-and-downs in the market, customers have experienced the shift from aggressive expansion two years ago to defense this year,” mentioned SMIC.
Data from the Semiconductor Industry Association mentioned that world semiconductor gross sales for September elevated 1.9% in comparison with a month in the past, displaying indicators of a chip restoration. Globally, September gross sales fell 4.5% from a 12 months in the past.
“Global semiconductor sales increased on a month-to-month basis for the seventh consecutive time in September, reinforcing the positive momentum the chip market has experienced during the middle part of this year,” mentioned John Neuffer, president and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association.
“The long-term outlook for semiconductor demand remains strong, with chips enabling countless products the world depends on and giving rise to new, transformative technologies of the future,” Neuffer mentioned.
SMIC has been underneath the highlight for a “breakthrough” 5G chip in Chinese tech large Huawei’s new smartphone launched in September.
The U.S. has slapped sanctions on Huawei and SMIC.
In 2019, Huawei was positioned on the U.S. commerce blacklist, which restricts American companies from doing enterprise with the Chinese firm. The U.S. additionally restricted Huawei’s entry to foreign-produced semiconductors made with U.S. applied sciences, and barred its companies from acquiring Huawei tools or companies.
SMIC was additionally placed on a U.S. commerce blacklist in 2020, limiting its skill to amass sure U.S. expertise by requiring exporters to use for a license to promote to the corporate.
In a blow to U.S. sanctions, a teardown of Huawei’s newest Mate 60 Pro smartphone revealed a Kirin 9000s chip fabricated by SMIC that seems to assist 5G regardless of U.S. makes an attempt to chop Huawei from key applied sciences together with 5G chips.
The superior 7-nanometer processor in Huawei’s new telephone signaled China is seeing early progress from constructing self-reliance in science and expertise because it pushes previous U.S. efforts to comprise Beijing’s rise. Analysts beforehand mentioned SMIC’s expertise is a number of generations behind TSMC and Samsung.
Last 12 months, Washington launched sweeping export restrictions geared toward reducing China off from superior chip tech and tools. These curbs have minimize SMIC off from key chipmaking instruments to fabricate probably the most superior semiconductors.
SMIC mentioned it expects fourth quarter income to extend by 1% to three% from the third quarter.
Source: www.cnbc.com”