SUSS MicroTec SE

SUSS MicroTec SE

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Q2 FY2026 · Earnings Call TranscriptAugust 6, 2026

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the conference call of SUSS MicroTec following the publication of the half-year figures of 2026. I would like to welcome the company's CEO, Burkhardt Frick; the CFO, Dr.

Cornelia Ballwießer; the COO, Dr. Thomas Rohe; and the Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications, Sabrina Müller, who will guide us through the presentation in a moment, followed by a Q&A session via audio line and chat.

With that, I hand over to you, Ms. Müller.

Sabrina Müller

Thank you, and welcome to our conference call following the publication of our half-yearly financial report 2026. Before we start, please note that this call is being recorded and considered as copyrighted material.

It cannot be recorded or rebroadcast without permission, and participating in this call implies your consent to this procedure. Please be also aware of the safe harbor statement on page two of this slide deck.

It applies throughout the call. With that, I'll now hand over to Burkhardt to guide you through our results for the first half year.

Burkhardt Frick

Thank you, Sabrina, and also a very warm welcome from my end. Let's start with an overview of the key financials for 2026.

Order intake of €410 million was very strong. Q2 alone contributed to €260 million.

Distribution of demand was across all product lines, but dominated by coaters. More than 40 coaters were booked in May and June alone.

Biggest driver was a single order of €150 million for one customer who will significantly scale advanced packaging capacity. This customer also serves the biggest foundry in Taiwan.

Revenue compared to the first half of 2025 is down €63.8 million, but first half 2025 was also the best first half a year performance of the company in its history. On profitability, the gross profit margin is well on track at 37.2%, slightly ahead of the guidance corridor of 35% to 37%.

On EBIT margin, which is below strong achievements of 2025, but improving. Second-quarter EBIT margin was at 9%, up from 4.3% in Q1, and clearly demonstrates higher sales volume improve EBIT margin significantly.

Now, some key messages. I start with the market outlook and the demand situation.

There are significant increased predictions for the semiconductor industry. SEMI raised the outlook for the wafer fab equipment to $144 billion versus December estimates of $126 billion.

SUSS also profited from achieving record order intake in Q2 and the first half, our visibility for 2027 is improving quickly. We note strong orders for the current tool generations, which provide stability and does not cannibalize demand for next-generation tools, gun investments building on existing process of record tools.

On the segments, ABS collected orders from all product lines. Imaging and bonding also contributing in absolute terms, however with coating as the strongest product category.

Photomask Solutions recorded lower sales after particularly slow order intake in the second half of 2025. Couple of key developments.

Our new application center officially was communicated, and Thomas will talk about it later. We also managed to launch our first panel-level scanner, which is now at a customer site.

That was achieved by a very strong effort of the team. Customer will use it to develop the CoPoS process.

On guidance, we confirmed the guidance this morning. Gross profit margin already well within range.

EBIT margin improving with rising sales levels, an acceleration of sales expected for the second half. Now the segment overview, and I spare you the tables which have been kind of publicized this morning.

I'd like just to highlight a few things on the two segments. On Advanced Backend Solutions, our order intake improving strongly with coating business as major driver.

Segment sales, we show a solid performance, also compared to strong first half 2025 numbers. We launched the first UV projection scanner, which is a first panel-level tool at a customer site.

For Photomask Solutions, our order book increased in the second quarter with continuing strong demand from China. Sales still shows the effects of a weak second half of order entry in 2025.

Gross profit margin for Q1 is a major driver. Q2 is lagging due to lower cost coverage.

Now let's have a look at our order intake development. The bars shows the quarterly order intake per segment, and I'd like to highlight three points here.

First, we achieved a major customer order from Taiwan in the second quarter. This represents €150 million for coater for Taiwanese advanced packaging customer.

It's a strong validation of our market position and customer commitment to capacity extension. Our technology is well-aligned with customer roadmaps.

Even excluding this order, the second quarter is still at a very strong level. Second, we have a demand for existing solutions, the momentum is driven by the existing portfolio.

Broad demand across product lines is noted. Market environment supports repeat orders on proven solutions, and provide strong starting position for portfolio refresh and new launches.

Thirdly, the first half of 2026, the order intake performance, we had a third consecutive quarter of sequential growth. We noted a Q1 momentum carried into Q2.

The first-half-year order entry of €410 million, this is already above full-year level of financial year 2025 and approaching full year financial year after only six months. This is a clear acceleration of customer investment activity, and the order book is enhancing our visibility, as you will see on the next page.

Here, I'd like to dive into our order book development and the visibility of the order book, which we show here for the first time in such a great detail. The offset point is the record-high order book.

The order book reached a new all-time high of about €476 million at the end of first half, a direct result of a strong order intake momentum over recent quarters. It equals a significant expansion compared to historic levels, and it reflects increasing customer commitment as well as long-term project visibility.

Secondly, strong revenue coverage for financial year 2026. Around €240 million of the current order book is expected to convert into sales in the second half of 2026.

This provides a high degree of visibility for the rest of the year and our 2026 guidance confirmation, and supports execution confidence plus planning reliability. Thirdly, we now have an improved visibility for the fiscal year 2027.

Here I'd like to make an important note. Please be aware of that the figure represented for 2027 is based on the current order book and currently scheduled delivery dates.

It does not represent management guidance or revenue forecast for fiscal year 2027. Approximately €220 million already scheduled for delivery in the fiscal year 2027 out of this order book, which is an early increase of visibility for expected revenue conversion into 2027.

This highlights long-term customer investment and is a strong starting position entering the next fiscal year. Finally, it creates greater predictability and supports sustainable growth.

With that, I like to hand over to Cornelia.

Cornelia Ballwießer

Thank you, Burkhardt, and also a warm welcome from my side to all of you. I will focus on a few key financial and operational messages for first half year 2026.

The sales development, overall sales of €202.8 million for the first half of 2026 was precisely expected. Q1 was a weaker quarter in terms of sales, and Q2 already showed the expected improvement with a level of €160.2 million.

On gross profit, gross profit was 25.5% lower than in the previous year and in line with a lower revenue level. The gross profit margin was 37.2%, slightly below the prior-year level.

This is, of course, also influenced by product and customer mix effects. In addition, profitability was affected by a one-time charge of €2.1 million related to the withdrawal of a product.

This product had been already discontinued as a part of our portfolio optimization. Therefore, it is no longer utilized or resold and, consequently, was expensed in full through the income statement.

Operating expenses, that means selling expenses, general administration expenses, and R&D expenses. This OpEx increased only slightly overall by €0.3 million.

Because of lower business volume, selling expenses were lower due to lower freight costs. R&D expenses, on the other hand, were higher in order to support our launches.

For the first half of the year, R&D expenses increased by €1.6 million to a total of €24.9 million. G&A expenses were at the prior-year level.

EBIT and, consequently, EBIT margin was clearly below prior year due to less business volume and, consequently, less gross profit and quite unchanged OpEx level. In addition, a negative foreign currency impact of €1.5 million is reflected in this figure.

Free cash flow was positive with €16.4 million and profited from a positive operating cash flow thanks to the working capital reduction and a lower CapEx level compared to last year with the investments in our Taiwan site in Zhubei. That represents also a very strong improvement compared to last year.

The free cash flow was negative after the first six months. CapEx remained low following substantially higher spendings in the previous year for our facility in Zhubei.

This year, we had only minor items for Taiwan. Most of the spending this year was related to German sites for infrastructure and for demo tools.

Now, let's move to the development of our main financial KPIs for the second quarter. In Q1, we indicated that the order level for Q2 could be above the first quarter.

This expectation clearly materialized with SUSS achieving the highest order intake per quarter in its history. We already highlighted the high coater order in Q2, but even without this order, we would have booked a significant order intake only slightly below the first-quarter level.

This shows that the overall demand was still very high. In terms of sales, Q1, as we expected, was the turning point.

Sales level in Q2 has been higher, and with a rising level of sales, the fixed cost coverage improved. With €202.8 million of sales of the first half of the year, we are well on track to meet the guidance corridor.

This implies that the second half of the year will have higher sales level. Gross profit margin, with this higher sales level in the second quarter, gross profit margin improved.

For the first six months of the year, we achieved a gross margin of 37.2%, slightly above our full-year guidance corridor of 35% to 37%. As already mentioned, also the product and customer mix will have an impact on this expected margin.

On EBIT level, we also see the expected development with a higher EBIT margin in the second quarter. Higher sales levels support our cost coverage, the EBIT margin in Q2 was already at 9% after 4.3% in the first quarter.

All in all, the EBIT margin is not yet within the guidance corridor after first six months. Based on the information currently available, including our expectations for sales and the product and customer mix in the second half of the year, we continue to expect an EBIT margin in the range of 8% to 10% in line with our guidance.

Now, let's have a quick look at the segments. The momentum of the two segments differed in the second quarter.

ABS had very strong order intake, sales, and gross profit profitability. Photomask Solutions still showed good gross profit profitability, while cost coverage of OpEx was not as good as in the first quarter.

In Advanced Backend Solutions, sales came back strong. We already explained one-off effect of €2.1 million is fully attributable to this segment.

Overall, the product mix still benefited from a strong sales contribution of the bonding solutions product line. Also, the higher sales level improved the cost coverage, which led to an EBIT margin of 12.1% in the second quarter and to an EBIT of €8.3 million and EBIT margin of 5.6% in the first half of 2026.

This clearly indicates the turnaround in the ABS segment after two quarters with a negative result. Turning to Photomask Solutions, order intake in the second quarter slowed down.

Sales were below prior-year levels. Please keep in mind that due to the high unit price and comparatively low equipment volume, timing shifts in projects can lead to noticeable impact on short-term trends in sales and profitability.

Gross profit margin came in at 39.5% in Q2, while lower than the strong 43% reported in the first quarter, margins remain robust and continue to reflect the strong profitability profile of the Photomask Solutions segment. Compared to the slightly higher sales level of Q3 last year, we achieved a higher gross profit margin in the Q2 this year.

EBIT margin in Q2 amounted to 12.4%, reflecting lower fixed-cost coverage compared to prior-year quarters. Importantly, our R&D activities and other strategic projects are progressing according to plan and are reflected in OpEx and, consequently, in EBIT and EBIT margin.

Now, let's have a look on the regional split of order intake and sales. As you can see, the increase in order intake in the first half of 2026 was particularly strong in the Americas and APAC, but EMEA was strong, too.

In America and EMEA, the push for localized production is now starting to translate into tool orders. Now, in terms of order intake, America was the region with the strongest growth in order intake.

The order intake of the first half from America was 14.1% of total order intake. That compares against 9.5% of total order intake in the first half 2025.

In EMEA, order intake also increased, but not as strongly as in the other regions. In our most important region, Asia-Pacific, APAC, we also had a significantly higher order intake.

The share for total order intake for the first half 2026 was 75.5%. In 2025, the share was 76.7%, the share of APAC in relative terms was almost stable.

Within APAC, the relative share of the order intake from China decreased. In H1 2025, it was 30.2%.

In the first half year of 2026, it came down to 22.4%. However, the order intake from China in absolute terms increased to €69.4 million in the first half of 2026.

Now, a short look on sales. While sales revenue in Americas and EMEA grew, we see a decline in APAC if you compare the first six months of '26 to '25.

This is the result of the digestion phase after the initial ramp we had there. APAC's share of total sales revenue was around 75% in the first half of this year after 84% last year.

EMEA's share of sales was 10% and Americas 15% after 6.4% and 9.7%, respectively. Now, let's have a look to some most important balance sheet developments.

Overall, total assets expanded by €45.1 million, or 8.9%. The changes in the non-current assets were immaterial.

The changes in the positions almost canceled each other out. In current assets, we had an increase of €45.6 million, mainly related to inventories with a plus of €10.7 million due to higher work in progress.

We had also an increase in contract assets with a plus of €14.1 million and cash and cash equivalents with €13.6 million. The positive free cash flow in the amount of €16.4 million in the first half resulted in an increase of the cash and cash equivalents up to €112.3 million.

Now, on the liability and equity side. In the first half of 2026, equity increased due to net income and OCI by €10.6 million.

The equity ratio, however, declined from 62.2% to 59% due to increased total assets. Non-current liabilities remained at the same level as of December 31, 2025, and amounted €75.5 million end of June '26.

Current liabilities increased by €33.1 million, or 28.1%. The main driver was higher contract liabilities resulting from increased customer advance payments, particularly in connection with stronger China business.

Contract liabilities rose by €33.8 million. With that, I would like to conclude the financial review and hand over to Thomas, who will provide further insights into our planned application center as well as an update on upcoming product introductions.

Thomas Rohe

Thank you very much, Cornelia, and good afternoon to everyone. As we have already announced during the Capital Markets Days in November last year, we want to build a new application and R&D center.

Let me briefly explain why this project is important for SUSS. This investment is not about adding capacity.

It is about creating the foundation for the next phase of innovation, talent acquisition, customer collaboration, and long-term growth. The new application and development center will serve as an innovation hub.

By locating the facility in Karlsruhe close to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, abbreviated with KIT, we gain direct access to one of Europe's leading research environments. The location improves our access to highly qualified talent.

The proximity to KIT and our planned involvement in academic research create an attractive environment for engineers and semiconductor specialists and support our long-term growth ambitions. The country of Baden-Württemberg also sponsors a professorship in the field of advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration to support not only SUSS, but also the city of Karlsruhe to generate a center of excellence for wafer equipment development.

The project will allow us to relocate parts of R&D and application activities from Sternenfels to Karlsruhe. Finally, the center will strengthen collaboration with our customers.

Modern application facilities are becoming increasingly important as customers and equipment suppliers work together to develop and qualify next-generation manufacturing processes. We view Karlsruhe as a strategic investment in the future of SUSS.

It supports innovation, strengthens our talent base, enhances customer engagement, and creates the foundation for sustainable growth in the years ahead. Planning activities are progressing well, and subject to the relevant approvals, we expect the facility to be completed in 2028.

This leads me to our product roadmap. As you can see on the slide, we are progressing with a broad range of new product introductions across both segments over the coming years.

Some of these developments have already reached important milestones, while others continue to move through the final stages of development and customer qualification. As is typical for highly complex semiconductor equipment programs, timelines can evolve as we work closely with customers to ensure performance and process requirements are fully met.

Looking at the roadmap as a whole, these programs represent an important refresh of our portfolio and are designed to address key technology trends, particularly in advanced packaging and in heterogeneous integration. Our objective remains unchanged: to strengthen our technology position, expand the applications we can address, and create additional growth opportunities over the coming years.

While the commercial contribution of individual products may vary from year to year, we believe this next generation of solutions will support the continued development of our business well beyond 2027. With that said, I would like to hand back to Burkhardt for the outlook.

Burkhardt?

Burkhardt Frick

Thank you, Thomas. Just a quick recap.

We already booked €202.8 million of sales, and now we have a record order book of €473.7 million. This gives us confidence that we will meet the guidance for the full year.

As we said from the start of the year, 2026 will be a transition year. Q1 marked the low point.

Q2 already showed the improvement we expected. Therefore, we confirm the guidance today: sales range of €425 to €485 million; we see a broadly stable gross profit margin of 35% to 37%, but a decline in EBIT margin of 8% to 10% compared to the previous year.

The expectation is stronger second half for the year, but like Cornelia said, the window for orders that convert into sales for 2026 is closing. With that, I like to open the floor for questions.

Operator

Yes, thank you very much for the presentation. Ladies and gentlemen, now it's your turn.

We are opening the Q&A session. If you would like to ask a question in person via the audio line, please click on the raise your hand button.

We already have some participants raise their hands. We start with Martin Marandon.

You should be able to unmute yourself and place your question.

Martin Marandon

Hi. Thanks for taking my question.

My first question is on the order intake. If we exclude the €150 million of a coating order in Q2, orders were still €146, it was €149 million in Q1.

I'm just wondering if you should see that kind of range as a reasonable indication of the underlying quarterly demand run rate for H2 as well, or that maybe we should expect more, considering the launch of a new equipment and a new equipment cycle in H2, like a wafer cleaning, photomask cleaning, and so on. I have a follow-up.

Yeah.

Burkhardt Frick

Martin, yeah, thanks. Good question.

Of course, you see how our single big orders can create quite spikes in the order entry. Of course, these things, they're hard to predict.

The levels we achieved before were as you said. We're not guiding the forward-looking order entry, as a lot of things can still happen.

We see different effects of maybe pull-ins in order entries. Therefore, it's very difficult to guide that.

Martin Marandon

Understood. Then regarding the '26 guidance and for the backlog in general, I understand that almost half of the current backlog is for '27, but that you also expect orders in the following quarters to contribute to '26.

Why some customers are asking for tools later? Is it because of different lead times on your end, some tools you cannot ship in 2026 if orders come today, or that's because of constraints at the customer level like a lack of cleanrooms, for instance?

Burkhardt Frick

As I said, I think that the window is closing, we don't expect significant orders anymore from now on which contribute to '26. The majority from now on is indeed for '27.

The particular behavior of customers, they're hard to judge. We see more longer-term commitments customers are willing to make, potentially due to shortages in the industry.

We see request dates which are far above our lead times we have. That's why we already see now big bookings all the way till the end of 2027.

Martin Marandon

That's clear. The last one, if I may.

Beyond the large OSAT order that you got in Q2, how broad is the improvement in coating and imaging demand across AI packaging applications in general, and are you seeing similar capacity requirements from other OSATs potentially in the future?

Burkhardt Frick

This one order we I think talked about, of course, most of these orders are in context with AI application. Of course, we see less at this point in time, less bonder orders and much more OSAT-related orders which are for the packaging space, but they're also driven by an AI activity.

Martin Marandon

Thank you very much.

Operator

Yes, thank you very much, Monsieur Marandon. We move on to Mr.

DeVos. You should be able to unmute yourself and place your question, please.

Ruben Devos

Good afternoon. I just had one on the exceptional coater order.

Just curious whether you could talk a bit more about what drove that exceptional order. I think, is this a set of standalone spin coaters, or is it sort of full coat-and-develop tracks?

Just what have been really the conditions that drove this order? If we think about coaters, I think I've got it in my notes, it was roughly around 60% of sales in '24.

This €150 million order is already 24%, I guess, of the backlog. It looks like it's a much higher base rate going forward.

Some color on the coater activities would be very helpful. Thank you.

Burkhardt Frick

Yeah. That's a good question.

I think we mentioned earlier that this is in context with a large Taiwanese foundry. The orders we are receiving, as I also mentioned, are for existing products we have, which are a substantial part of process records of those customers.

They are kind of increasing significantly their capacity. Therefore, we see these orders because we are the qualified tool of record there.

It is indeed for spin coaters, the different variants of spin coaters, different configurations. All of these orders are for existing records and existing processes which are being scaled up as we speak.

We see this at this large one order, but we see similar developments also with other coating customers of ours.

Ruben Devos

Okay. Regarding the product mix in the backlog, again, the coater order quite distorts the numbers, but how should we think about the temporary bonder/debonder and the imaging business in the backlog?

How did that shape up in the backlog, or maybe the past 12-month orders proportionally?

Burkhardt Frick

I think even if you take out this one order, we are at the €140 million level per quarter. That distribution is quite broad across the existing product lines.

Beyond the coaters, nothing is really sticking out. We do see good distribution for bonding, photomask, and imaging solutions.

Imaging solutions, of course, is not yet orders for this newly launched UV scanner, because we install this first system in a pilot line. I think that was also a question earlier, I think I forgot to answer.

We don't have except single POs for newly introduced products because they're not reaching a volume phase that we expect for '27 and beyond.

Ruben Devos

Thank you. Just a final question on margins.

For the full year, it seems a bit conservative, I think. Obviously, first half year didn't realize that higher volume, higher sales, depressing a bit the operational profits.

We should see a significant step-up as from here forward. What would sort of have to happen in the second half for the full year to land inside your range?

Also for the EBIT guidance, 8% to 10%, you're already at 9% in Q2 at only €160 million of sales. With a significant step-up, what would sort of be the incremental drop-through, not only for H2 '26, but looking beyond that as well?

Burkhardt Frick

I can start answering this before I hand over to Cornelia. As we said, when we put out this guidance, we see this dip.

This dip is created by much lower order entry activity of 2025. This has been anticipated, and this is actually now materializing.

We also said that we keep our high burn rate for R&D activities going because we want to launch all these new products. Therefore, the spend level is high.

Now, if the top line drops as predicted, obviously the margin drops with that as well. This is all within the anticipated range.

The order entry activity now, of course, deludes the picture a bit. That's also why we clarified a lot that the big part of the orders we are collecting, especially since the second quarter onwards, are already for next year.

They will not help us to get the top line up. To answer your question, what needs to happen to improve the margins?

In the current constellation, it's a higher top line. That's something we don't see happening this year.

Cornelia might want to add something.

Cornelia Ballwießer

I think you mentioned all what we have to say to this, because the OpEx will slightly increase, I would say, in the second half. This is all planned.

Of course, we are in a transition year. With less volume compared to prior year or what we expect in future in our long-term plannings, of course, EBIT margin cannot reach that high because of the lack of cost coverage.

Yeah. As Burkhardt said, we do not stop our projects, whether the R&D projects nor other projects we have on our table and what we want to do, for example, digitalization projects like S/4HANA and some others.

We will not stop.

Ruben Devos

All right, thank you.

Cornelia Ballwießer

Okay.

Operator

Thank you very much, and we move on to Michael Kuhn. You should be able to unmute yourself and place your question.

Please, Mr. Kuhn, go ahead.

Michael Kuhn

Good afternoon. Thanks for taking my questions.

I'll start with a follow-up on the guidance. If I look at implied H2, we talk about a good €220 to a good €280 million.

Obviously, you showed that slide, I think, which was €240 million for backlog conversion in H2, I think lower end not really an option anymore. You said, let's say the window for 2026 is closing, but it didn't sound like it is entirely closed.

Maybe to give us a little more of a context, what could make you moving higher within the range? Is it rush orders?

Is it, let's say, services which are not yet reflected in the backlog? A bit more of an understanding here would be helpful.

Then, also on, let's say, your availability by product line. I guess for coaters, you're now pretty much sold out for a couple of quarters after the major order.

Maybe a quick idea on also what is your, let's say, available delivery windows for the other products?

Burkhardt Frick

You're trying to connect the dots obviously, which makes good sense here. Now, a lot of things can still happen.

We don't have many productions lots available anymore to build additional machines than the ones we already have planned. We have a few shorter-lead-time machines, but it's very rare that we can get a big surprise order still delivered this year.

Of course, service orders and these things, they can make a small imprint here. Also, even if we get one or two more orders in, there's also a chance that some orders are being pushed out.

Therefore, we want to be cautious here and not to over-predict. I think with the granularity we provided, I think you can pretty much estimate where we think we end up.

Michael Kuhn

Understood, thank you. Then,

Burkhardt Frick

oh yeah, the second question was on the

Michael Kuhn

coaters. The

Burkhardt Frick

Yes, of course we have these record order entries for spin coaters, and they are for 200 and 300 coaters. We already started building the capacity in parallel, not only in our Taiwan site, but also in our German site.

Both sites are capable to build this product. We are now using the operational flexibility we have to build these things in parallel.

Far, we can handle this high demand. Yes, we do see that getting parts is becoming also an issue.

Far, I think we can confirm the orders we have received.

Michael Kuhn

Great, thank you. One more on the new products.

We also had one slide included. Obviously, we're moving closer and closer to, let's say, more launches of those new products.

Being fully aware it's a number of things and complex topics still, maybe a few words on the progress in terms of discussions with customers, qualification processes, and where you would say probably are the biggest chances for nearer-term orders in the product lineup?

Burkhardt Frick

For some of these products, we already have orders. We have to get them out, so that's the challenge we have.

The mid-end cleaner, for example, is one of these examples which we are launching this year. That will be the second new product launch, and not only launch, but also shipment this year.

There, we have already a number of orders and customers eagerly expecting those machines. We're building the first couple of machines in the second half of this year.

Maybe Thomas wants to comment further.

Thomas Rohe

Yeah. For sure, the situation is completely different for each and every tool which we develop.

Some are, as Burkhardt said, in the phase where we already have orders on hand which we have to fulfill on short term. Others are still partially in discussion with customers and others are on the way to get finished in the next year.

When we ship one to the customer, we have always to keep in mind that the tools are in the first step qualified at the customer for the process. This means they are in this phase.

Also, we have deep discussions with customers about minor improvements or even bug fixes or whatever. That we have all phases of the product development in our portfolio.

This really brings us in next year also in future, let's say, stress to get all these tools up and running at customer's site. We are prepared for this, and so it makes us very optimistic to launch all the products we have in our portfolio

Burkhardt Frick

plan.

Michael Kuhn

Great, thank you.

Operator

Thank you very much. We move on to Malte Schaumann.

Malte Schaumann, you should be able to unmute yourself and ask your question. Mr.

Schaumann, we can't hear you. You seem to be

Malte Schaumann

un- Can you hear me now?

Operator

Yes, now we can hear you.

Malte Schaumann

Perfect. I start again.

Congratulations on the strong order intake especially. First question is on the product mix next year.

Seeing that coaters might deliver disproportionately high contributions in 2027, does that represent a headwind on the gross margin level next year, or how do you see that?

Burkhardt Frick

No, I can also imagine that if you can build at that scale, it also has a positive margin impact. Coaters, as Malte, they're kind of in the middle of the margin spectrum of our portfolio.

They're not pulling us down significantly or lifting us up. They're kind of in the average.

In that sense, it will not move the needle negatively, for sure not. We is still looking if we can gain some volume effects by large material orders.

In a world where also supplies are tightening, it's a hit and miss here, but I think the sheer volume allows us also to build with scale.

Malte Schaumann

That's good to hear. Is that applicable, the end application linked to the TSMC outsourcing, of course, to OSATs in Taiwan?

Burkhardt Frick

That's a good guess. We haven't mentioned the customer, but I guess your guess is as good as mine.

Malte Schaumann

Okay. Then gross margin for 2026, you have come up at the upper end of the guidance range for the end of first half.

Utilization will be somewhat better in the second half of the year. We have seen in the second half of last year not disappointing, but lower gross margin levels in Q3, Q4.

Do you see the risk for such a decline in any of the quarters, or how do you feel about the mix in your order backlog for the second half of this year?

Burkhardt Frick

No, I think we will stay in that range. That's also why, although we were pushed to positively adjust our guidance, we're reluctant to do so because we see similar mixes, similar effects as we had before.

That's why we stick to this guidance, and we think this is well-advised.

Malte Schaumann

Okay. Then on temporary bonders, how do you assess the Korean customer to place orders in the second half of the year?

Do you see that? Do you have a visibility on that?

Do you think that this will happen, or is that something that might get postponed to '27?

Burkhardt Frick

Far we haven't seen this happening or developing. We have to see because we have a strong share in the HBM3e mix.

We have to see how the product mix will look like, but we don't see a current momentum from that particular customer. Okay.

Malte Schaumann

Do you think this is because customer has sufficient utilization, or do you see potential competition getting orders?

Burkhardt Frick

I think it's a mix of both, because especially that customer, there is quite significant competition. It's about the process records which are changing as we speak, and we of course try to stay in this process record.

Malte Schaumann

Good. Then in terms of the new products, you have talked about quite a couple of product launches this year and you seem to be on track.

When do you think these might come or will come through at order intake level to greater extent? Will that start early next year so that order intake will benefit from a pilot ramp, volume ramp at certain customers?

Burkhardt Frick

Now Now I have to give you an it-depends question answer on the to your question, because for the mid-end cleaner, we already have quite a significant number in the in the high single digits of POs. That is is already kind of starting to to ramp, at least in in order intake.

The other products we talked about, we of course see now the initial machines being ordered or being installed at customers. We have a couple of those coming in the second half as as well, and early first first quarter of next year.

As Thomas already said, these are initial systems which often go through a verification/qualification phase at at launching customers. Then after that, that can be a period of, 6 6 to 12 months, then you you will get follow-up and volume orders.

Sometimes even earlier than that, depends, how how how eager those customers want to move, or if they want to first see validation data, real hard production data. We So to answer your question, I think it's in in we'll see something in the in the first half of of next year, but then I think more in the second half of next year.

Malte Schaumann

Okay. Last one on lead times.

Do you think that coater production slots will extend lead times also for the other products, or how do you expect lead times to progress towards the end of the year and early '27?

Thomas Rohe

Let me answer this, Malte. I expect no changes on our lead time.

We are prepared right now for a huge order intakes to really manage them with the same lead times as before. We are prepared for this with our flexible workforce, with our supply chains.

For sure, we see actually some problems rising up in our supply chain because of the huge demand. From our side, we are prepared for this and we can really stick to the lead times which we promise to our customers.

Malte Schaumann

Sounds good.

Burkhardt Frick

Of course, the beauty comes in of our new Taiwanese factory, because we can not only add manpower, but also increase the space which we can utilize. We wouldn't have been able to do this in the previous setting.

Actually, we have this room to grow and we are now exercising as we speak.

Malte Schaumann

Yeah. Many thanks.

Operator

Thank you very much, Mr. Schaumann.

We move on to the next participant, Basil Theiss. You should be able to unmute yourself and ask your questions.

Basil Theiss

Hi. Can you hear me?

Operator

Yes.

Basil Theiss

Yes, good afternoon. Thank you for taking my questions.

On the guidance, just a follow-up to make sure that I understand that correctly. Basically the order backlog, is that including service?

The shippable backlog of €240 million for the second half of the year, would that mean this is now with services, or would you see that 15% service business on top?

Cornelia Ballwießer

It is with service.

Basil Theiss

Basically then it would be wrong to assume that in second half, we will, depending on the revenue level, to assume service business on top.

Cornelia Ballwießer

Yes. It's already included in our guidance, and also in the order book as far as we have orders for service.

Basil Theiss

Got it. Then on the comment regarding the order window basically closed or the shippable order window closed for 2026.

I remember historically you said, yeah, the orders you receive the first two quarters, it will be turned into revenues. This comment has shifted sometime last year, particularly with the Taiwanese fab, in the sense that early part of the Q3 orders could be still turned into revenues.

What is your stance between these two statements today? Do you think July and August orders can be still shipped, or would you from today's perspective exclude this?

Thomas Rohe

I would say as Burkhardt says even before, it depends. It depends on the tool type which are ordered.

For sure, we can still really manage to take some orders for easier or simpler tools which have a shorter lead time. For those, we can still accept some orders for this year.

For bigger tools, more complicated tools, also with a more complex supply chain, it takes more time, and for those tools, the windows is really closed right now.

Basil Theiss

For photomask basically it's closed,

Thomas Rohe

but

Basil Theiss

I would say-

Thomas Rohe

Easily closed for mask aligners, for example. Perhaps we have open slots which we can use for this year.

The truth is somewhere in between.

Basil Theiss

Got it. What about temporary bonder/debonder and the scanner tools?

Is that more shorter-lead-time products, or-

Thomas Rohe

No, these are also long-lead-time items, half a year is minimum. If there would be, let's say, a really very urgent demand for a tool, okay, we can perhaps think about this, but this will not happen.

It normally does not happen.

Burkhardt Frick

Those slots are already taken. Because, especially for those products, we have orders on hand which we are executing.

Thomas Rohe

They

Burkhardt Frick

took the available slots.

Basil Theiss

Got it.

Burkhardt Frick

It's already very little additional you can book, and then that's also why we stick to the guidance.

Basil Theiss

Yeah. Your first-half revenues plus the €240 gives you €445, whereas the market is around €475, €480 million, the top end of the guidance range rather than midpoint or low end.

That was what I was trying to sense a bit, how you think about-

Burkhardt Frick

I think the market judgment is a bit driven by previous assumptions that anything which you booked before the end of June, as you said yourself, we can convert, especially in the second quarter where we got these large orders which have a large portion in 2027. This old rule of thumb we used doesn't work anymore.

I think this also has to be more or less put into estimates of the analyst.

Basil Theiss

Got it. Then this question was also asked, but again, to just make a little bit sure that we understand the business dynamics.

If you strip out the large order, the €150 million, then the quarterly order run rate was for the first half something around, yeah, €145 million versus last year around €90 million quarterly run rate. Looking now into the second half of the year, why would or what needs to go wrong that the quarterly order run rate of first half would deteriorate materially towards the run rate we have seen last year, the below €100 or around €90 million?

Burkhardt Frick

Again, this is a glass ball question. For example, just assume for 1 second that customers order early.

They placed orders in Q2 they would have placed otherwise in Q3 or Q4. If that assumption is correct, then orders for the second half can be well lower.

We don't know. We do see an ongoing strong momentum for the running quarter, but this time I will not be led to make an estimate if we will beat our previous quarter because it will get increasingly difficult.

I'm not taking that gamble. We don't know if customers have placed orders early they otherwise would have placed towards the end of the year in anticipation of equipment or parts shortage.

Until we haven't really understood the dynamic well enough, would be too early to estimate future intake run rates, because you see how we jumped out of our usual patterns just in the recent two quarters. I think it will be super exciting what's happening in the next few quarters.

We see currently still a very strong demand signal.

Basil Theiss

Sustained momentum into Q3, to say. Then final question on China.

What we hearing is that Chinese foundries are increasingly shifting capacities to AI-related products because there's clearly a willingness that in AI chips, the capacity needs to rise and supply needs to support their AI ambitions there. Which basically tells me that demand is quite strong for new capacity build-up in China.

Your photomask business was, in terms of order entry, not really, yeah, as strong in this quarter. What is your general view in China?

Do you think demand prospects have accelerated versus Q1, or, yeah, what is your view there, or the signals you are getting?

Burkhardt Frick

I think we already saw that the Chinese activity did pick up in the last two quarters compared to expectations, and that momentum can even increase further. Now, for photomask business, of course, these orders, usually they're large orders and few.

Large in single order size, but then they are scattered over sometimes months and quarters. It's difficult to predict.

We do see a positive momentum out of China, which also could result in business opportunities for us. We will see this in the second half of the year more clearly, but it's too early to make a prediction there.

I, in general, share your assessment. Then

Basil Theiss

final one, sorry, I forgot that. Cornelia, you mentioned during your presentation a one-off expense.

I'm not sure if I got the number correct. Was it €2.4 million?

Cornelia Ballwießer

€2.1

Basil Theiss

million.

Cornelia Ballwießer

Sorry? It was €2.1 million.

Basil Theiss

It was related to a older project you discontinued, or what? In ABS segment, right?

Cornelia Ballwießer

Yes, ABS segment, it was a withdrawal of a product that we removed from our product portfolio. I don't know, last year, yeah, in the context of optimizing our product portfolio.

What it is, we have it back, and we booked it in full through P&L because it's no longer in our portfolio and we will not sell it or, yeah, refurbish it or whatever. Got it.

Basil Theiss

That was in Q2, right?

Cornelia Ballwießer

Yes.

Basil Theiss

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you very much, and there's one last participant with a raised hand, Mr. Johannes Ries.

You can place your question now and unmute yourself. We can't hear you.

Johannes Ries

Can you now hear me?

Operator

Yes, now we hear you perfectly well.

Johannes Ries

Perfect. Good afternoon.

Finally come to call, which maybe most questions are answered, but two follow-ons. First, on temporary bonding.

Maybe you can explain a little bit more, follow on on the question of Malte, what's his answer regarding to your largest customer in the temporary bonding at the seal from the three memory guys. How much maybe could be affected by this technology change or their maybe development at this customer you mentioned.

How is the development at the two other players in HBM at memory side, especially the one maybe you had maybe seen a chance to enter, which was a closed shop in the past?

Burkhardt Frick

Let's start with the last one, which is the second Korean customer. We booked an order in early Q1.

We delivered the system, I think, towards the end of Q2, and I think another one is in the pipeline. This is too early to see how well this will result in follow-up business.

We have, yeah, we wait for feedback and results because, of course, R&D has to comment, and also operations, before we see significant shares there. The good news is, Johannes, we are in with our hardware there, which was quite a long struggle to be there.

The other customer, which is the non-Korean one, of course we are heavily engaged there with all kinds of ramp and optimization activities. We are currently increasing the throughput of those lines by using the existing footprint, because if there's no space to put in more machines, then you need to make sure you have measures to improve the output of the installed base.

That's what we are focusing on right now, because that customer will have a new site, but this is not ready before beginning of next year. We are now involved in a lot of optimization activities to increase the yield and the throughput of our installed base machines, plus, where there are slots and spaces available at that customer, we will also install additional machines in the second half of the year.

Johannes Ries

The third customer from Korea, the third one, you have been also a strong position in the past. How it's but to which had still machines bought and couldn't utilize in the past, how is the development gone on there?

Burkhardt Frick

The utilization goes up, but as I said before, we haven't received significant follow-up business. We got a couple of machines, but not I would say real substantial volume orders.

On that can be a mix of both, still available capacity and new processes we are currently not qualified for.

Johannes Ries

Thanks. Last question from my side on the wafer cleaner.

Maybe you talked a lot about the mask cleaner, but what about the wafer cleaner? How is the process there?

Update us when maybe you will launch the first product, and when you see maybe some, yeah, broader launch of the product. Will it be second half next year?

Burkhardt Frick

I think first of all, we have the first machine running in our application center in Sternenfels. We have received the first hardware.

We are now in a phase where we run our internal validation, plus we are testing customer wafers and use it internally. We were planning to ship out the system in the second half of the year, but we decided to keep it internal to optimize the performance before we get it out.

Therefore, customers are coming to our site and running the wafers there. Next year, we want to ship the first system, and also we want to launch the development of the 300 version of the wafer cleaner because the current one is a 200 system.

Johannes Ries

Really, really fine. Final point, what about pricing?

We heard from other semiconductor equipment companies that they partly intend to increase their prices because orders in the supply chain, do you see maybe the one or other price increases? Is it also the case for you, or are you thinking about pricing?

If yes, how pronounced could price increases be?

Burkhardt Frick

I will quote you there. We partially intend to increase our prices.

Where we can, of course, Johannes, we do this. Usually, you cannot just simply raise prices and cite a shortage or inflation for things.

Where we have solid grounds to raise the bar, we will do that. Usually, customers expect new products, new features, and then that's the best way to set a new price.

You can do some adjustments based on higher material costs or other aspects, and we do this every time we have a chance to do so. Of course, new products will give you more room to raise the bar.

Johannes Ries

Thanks, thanks a lot.

Burkhardt Frick

You're welcome.

Operator

Thank you very much. With no further questions online, we come to the end of today's conference call.

Thank you very much for your interest in SUSS MicroTec. For a successful remaining day, I wish you all, and I'm handing over for some closing remarks back to Sabrina Müller.

Sabrina Müller

Thanks a lot. Thanks to the audience for joining our conference call.

If further questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact us, the IR team. We wish you a nice rest of the day, and bye-bye.