What happened
SCREEN and Lasertec both fell to lower revenue and profit in their latest fiscal years, but now forecast revenue growth of over 20% for the current term.
Why it matters
SCREEN's operating margin is set to rise from 20.2% to 21.1%, while Lasertec's is set to fall from 45.7% to 43.1%, so their recoveries are taking different shapes.
What to watch
The two recoveries hinge on whether AI-related semiconductor investment demand actually reaches the equipment makers, with SCREEN's plan showing profit growing faster than sales and Lasertec's the reverse.
WHO IT HITSThis matters to investors tracking AI and semiconductor equipment names, who can see that SCREEN and Lasertec are both recovering but at different speeds and with different margin trajectories.
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SCREEN Holdings and Lasertec both sit in the AI and semiconductor supply chain but serve different steps of chipmaking. SCREEN's core is wafer-cleaning equipment, while Lasertec inspects photomasks, the templates used to print circuit patterns onto wafers.
The two companies also sit close together in a ranking by Money Post WEB of Japanese AI and semiconductor-related firms based on consensus profit-growth forecasts over three years. SCREEN placed 17th and Lasertec 15th in that ranking.
Both are now projecting revenue growth above 20% for the current term after lower revenue and profit in the latest fiscal year. SCREEN plans to lift its margin from 20.2% to 21.1%, while Lasertec expects its margin to ease from 45.7% to 43.1%. The question is whether AI-related semiconductor investment actually reaches the equipment makers in the way these plans assume.
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