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ICHOR HOLDINGS (ICHR)

ICHR Q2 2024 Guides $250M-$300M Quarterly Revenue, Margins Mid-15%

Reported on Aug 6, 2024 (After Market Close)
Pre-Earnings Price$28.06Last close (Aug 6, 2024)
Post-Earnings Price$30.08Open (Aug 7, 2024)
Price Change
$2.02(+7.20%)
  • Sequential Growth Potential: Management indicated a high single‐digit sequential revenue improvement, particularly driven by high-bandwidth memory and foundry logic segments, suggesting a recovery in demand with visible year-over-year acceleration.
  • Margin Expansion via Next-Generation Gas Panels: The transition to gas panels with 80% proprietary content is expected to drive significant gross margin improvement, supporting better earnings leverage even at similar revenue levels.
  • Strengthened Operating Leverage and Recovery in EUV: The recovery in the EUV business and integration of higher-margin components signal improved operating income, reinforcing the bull case with enhanced profitability prospects.
  • Reduced Capital Expenditure by Major Customers: The transcript noted concerns such as Intel’s CapEx guidance being down 17% year-over-year, which could signal a broader pullback in spending from key customers, potentially slowing down market growth for Ichor’s products.
  • Delayed Ramp of Next-Generation Gas Panels: Ichor’s next-generation gas panel, with an 80% proprietary content, is set for a multiyear ramp, raising risks of a delayed revenue uplift if widespread adoption doesn’t materialize as anticipated.
  • Persisting Customer Inventory and Order Issues: Some discussion pointed to muted surges in the component business and ongoing challenges regarding customer inventory normalization, which may hamper sequential revenue improvements.
  1. Gross Margin Guidance
    Q: Can Q4 gross margins reach mid-15%?
    A: Management expects gross margins to hit the mid-15s on similar revenue levels, driven by improved efficiencies and new proprietary products, suggesting a healthy margin expansion.

  2. Revenue Guidance
    Q: Will quarterly revenues hit $250–$300M next year?
    A: They foresee a strong market recovery and product integration leading to quarterly revenues in the $250M–$300M range, reflecting robust future demand.

  3. Incremental Margin Improvement
    Q: What extra margins come from new products?
    A: The new product mix is expected to yield about $2M of additional flow-through and push margins from roughly 20%–22% to north of 25% for a healthier bottom line.

  4. Market Focus
    Q: Which market shows the strongest future promise?
    A: Management noted that high-bandwidth memory is having a more pronounced positive impact compared to foundry logic, fueling sequential growth.

  5. Silicon Carbide
    Q: How is the silicon carbide business performing?
    A: Although experiencing a dip into the second half, this segment is poised for a recovery with growth expected between 25% to 50%, as customers resume capacity additions.

  6. Revenue Mix Margin
    Q: How does the new product mix affect margins?
    A: Shifting from about 10% internal content to 80% proprietary content is projected to boost margins from roughly 20%–22% to over 25%, enhancing profitability.

  7. 2025 Growth Acceleration
    Q: Will growth accelerate in early 2025?
    A: While specifics remain early, management is confident in a +15% year-over-year growth for 2025, underscoring a solid long-term outlook.

  8. EUV Improvement
    Q: When will the EUV segment improve?
    A: After a modest drop earlier, EUV performance is expected to rebound sequentially, with a stronger second half relative to the front half of the year.

  9. Intel Impact
    Q: Does Intel’s capex pullback affect current outlook?
    A: Though Intel’s reduced capex could impact the fourth quarter, management hasn’t observed any significant changes to this quarter’s results or near-term fundamentals.

  10. NAND WFE Recovery
    Q: When will NAND wafer fab recovery begin?
    A: Recovery in the NAND wafer fab equipment market is anticipated to start in mid to late 2025, aligning with new capacity additions.

  11. Inventory Trends
    Q: Are customer inventory issues being resolved?
    A: There are signs of normalization, with customer ordering patterns returning to normal, although component demand remains somewhat muted.

  12. Gas Panel Integration
    Q: Do new gas panels integrate with existing products?
    A: Yes – the new panels incorporate 80% proprietary content while remaining backward compatible by integrating critical existing components into both current and next-generation products.

  13. Gas Panel Timeline
    Q: What is the timeline for gas panel adoption?
    A: The ramp-up for new gas panels is expected to occur over a 2- to 3-year period as customers qualify these systems on a case-by-case basis.

  14. China Revenue
    Q: Is the silicon carbide EV business strong in China?
    A: Management noted they sell through process manufacturers, so specific region-end use—such as in China—remains unclear from a direct revenue perspective.

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