Information Technology
Soitec Reports Fourth Quarter Revenue and Full-Year Results of Fiscal Year 2024
SOITEC REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER REVENUE AND
FULL-YEAR RESULTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2024
Bernin (Grenoble), France, May 22 , 2024 – Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, today announced its revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 and its full-year results of fiscal year 2024 (ended on March 31 , 2024). The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors during its meeting today.
Pierre Barnabé, Soitec's CEO, commented: “ Fiscal year 2024 was a challenging year, marked by the impact on our sales of RF-SOI inventories correction across the entire smartphone value chain. Despite these difficult market conditions, we succeeded in maintaining a solid level of profitability, while continuing to invest both in innovation and industrial capacity to prepare for the future.
Regarding our fiscal year 2025, the RF-SOI inventory correction will continue to impact our revenue through the first part of the year. However, we are seeing early signs of improvement downstream, led by the ongoing return to growth of the smartphone market, which gives us confidence in the recovery of our RF-SOI sales in the second half of the year. At the same time, we will continue to benefit from strong performance of our other SOI products, and from the successful expansion of our product portfolio, with increased penetration of POI and the ramp-up of SmartSiC .
Looking ahead, we remain very confident in our ability to leverage the significant growth drivers underpinning our three end-markets. Coupled with the increasing adoption of engineered substrates to deliver more powerful and energy-efficient solutions to a growing number of customers, our continued diversification and expansion of our product portfolio, in both SOI and Compound substrates, supports our clear vision towards $2bn revenue in the medium term, with significant margin expansion potential,” added Pierre Barnabé.
Fourth quarter FY'24 consolidated revenue
Soitec revenue reached 337 million Euros in the fourth quarter of FY'24, down 2% both on a reported basis and at constant exchange rates and perimeter against the record quarterly revenue of 344 million Euros achieved in the fourth quarter of FY'23.
Mobile Communications
In the fourth quarter of FY'24, Mobile Communications revenue reached 222 million Euros, up 1% year-on-year at constant exchange rates compared to the fourth quarter of FY'23 and up 71% sequentially compared to the third quarter of FY'24.
As mentioned in previous quarterly publications, Soitec revenue has been affected since the beginning of fiscal year 2024 by the ongoing inventory adjustment of RF-SOI products at its customers level. In the fourth quarter of FY'24, RF-SOI revenue benefited from some restocking by major customers in anticipation of a smartphone market recovery in calendar year 2024, and also from orders by new RF-SOI customers. This temporary sequential rebound means that RF-SOI inventories at foundries level remain high at the end of fiscal year 2024, which will impact RF-SOI revenue in the first half of FY'25. The early signs of improvement with some downstream inventory digestion at OEMs and Fabless level, supported by the ongoing penetration of high-end smartphones, are expected to support growth in the second half of FY'25.
Sales of POI (Piezoelectric-on-Insulator) wafers dedicated to smartphone RF filters have been significantly growing quarter-over-quarter since the beginning of fiscal year 2024, with another sequential double-digit growth recorded in the fourth quarter of FY'24 compared to the third quarter of FY'24. POI activity benefited from the full impact of the two new customers in entered in production in the third quarter of FY'24 as well as a new US tier one customer in the fourth quarter of FY'24, pushing the total to eight, while more than ten customers are in the qualification phase.
Sales of FD-SOI wafers continue to show year-on-year growth, demonstrating the value they bring to front end modules integrated in both 5G Sub-6 GHz and 5G mmWave smartphones.
Automotive & Industrial
Automotive & Industrial revenue reached 44 million Euros in the fourth quarter of FY'24, down 6% year-on-year at constant exchange rates compared to the fourth quarter of FY'23 and sequentially stable compared to the third quarter of FY'24.
Soitec continues to leverage strong demand from the automotive industry, powered by increasing semiconductor content embedded in the latest generations of vehicles to enable more digitalization - autonomous and assisted driving, functional safety, infotainment – and higher electrification with notably the growing penetration of electric vehicles.
Power-SOI wafers continued to show year-on-year growth in the fourth quarter of FY'24, essentially driven by higher volumes. Growing demand for Power-SOI, which enables infotainment, functional safety and Battery Management Systems, strengthens the roadmap towards 300mm substrates.
In the fourth quarter of FY'24, FD-SOI wafers sales, which continued to be mostly driven by adoption for automotive microcontrollers, recorded a year-on-year decline in volumes due to a high comparison basis in the fourth quarter of FY'23. Looking ahead, strengthening demand from key IDMs for FD-SOI, notably for automotive radar and AI applications, supports Soitec's product roadmap towards 18nm and beyond.
Contribution of revenue generated by Soitec's SmartSiC technology for future generations of electric vehicles has further increased in the fourth quarter of FY'24 compared to previous quarters but was slightly lower on a year-on-year basis as Soitec benefited in the fourth quarter of FY'23 from an initial installment in connection with its cooperation agreement with STMicroelectronics. Soitec's SmartSiC roadmap is on track on all aspects: technology, industrial, supply and commercial. A second customer was secured last February. Production ramp-up at Soitec's new plant dedicated to SmartSiC™ substrates is still expected from the second half of FY'25.
Smart Devices
Smart Devices revenue reached 70 million Euros in the fourth quarter of FY'24, down 9% at constant exchange rates compared to the fourth quarter of FY'23, up 8% on sequential basis compared to the third quarter of FY'24.
Products dedicated to Smart Devices are supporting the need for more complex sensors, higher connectivity functionalities and embedded intelligence, leading to more powerful and energy-efficient chips for Edge Artificial Intelligence, Image Sensors, Data Centers and Cloud Computing.
Supported by structural demand for Edge Computing devices across consumer and industrial sectors, sales of FD-SOI wafers in the fourth quarter of FY'24 were broadly in line with revenue recorded in the fourth quarter of FY'23 as well as with the level achieved in the third quarter of FY'24.
After low sales in the first half of FY'24, sales of Imager-SOI wafers for 3D imaging applications, rebounded in the third quarter of FY'24 and remained at a sound level in the fourth quarter of FY'24.
Sales of Photonics-SOI wafers were lower than in the fourth quarter of FY'23, impacted by a challenging data center environment.
FY'24 consolidated revenue
Overall, consolidated revenue reached 978 million Euros in FY'24, down 10% both on a reported basis and at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to 1,089 million Euros in FY'23. This 10% decline is in line with Soitec's latest guidance provided in early February 2024.
The decline in revenue essentially reflects lower volumes, as well as an unfavorable mix effect. Performance was mixed across Soitec's three end-markets:
EBITDA margin maintained at a robust level
Consolidated income statement (part 1)
Despite the decrease in revenue, Soitec was able to reach a solid level of profitability with current operating income amounting to 208 million Euros in FY'24, down from 24.5% of revenue in FY'23 to 21.3% of revenue in FY'24:
The EBITDA amounted to 332 million Euros in FY'24, down 15% from 391 million Euros in FY'23. EBITDA margin remained a robust level, reaching 34.0%, two points below the record 36.0% margin of FY'23. Despite a lesser absorption of fixed costs due to lower volumes and an unfavorable mix effect, Soitec achieved a strong industrial performance and kept a tight control over operating expenses in an inflationary context, while maintaining a high level of R&D investment.
Consolidated income statement (part 2)
The net financial result was a net financial expense of 5 million Euros in FY'24 compared to a net financial expense of 10 million Euros in FY'23. In the context of rising interest rates, the Group benefited from a 14 million Euros increase in financial income mainly from cash investments, which more than offset a 6 million Euros increase in net financial expenses and a 4 million Euros impairment of financial investments.
The income tax expense amounted to 23 million Euros in FY'24 compared to 26 million Euros in FY'23. The slightly higher effective tax rate of 11% compared to 10% in FY'23 reflects both a higher contribution from Soitec's Singaporean operations to the Group's results and lower deferred taxes on tax losses carryforwards.
The net profit, Group share , amounted to 178 million, representing an 18.2% net margin.
Free Cash Flow reflects seasonality and investments in mid-term growth
Consolidated cash-flows
The Group generated a negative Free Cash Flow of 43 million Euros in FY'24 compared to a 34 million Euros positive Free Cash Flow in FY'23. This comes as a result of lower EBITDA, higher working capital needs, and capital expenditure maintained at a high level to support future expansion.
The cash outflow from working capital amounted to 142 million Euros in FY'24, compared to 96 million Euros in FY'23. This is essentially reflecting:
The net cash used in investing activities amounted to 209 million Euros in FY'24, slightly lower than the 228 million Euros spent in FY'23. Including tools financed through leasing contracts (51 million Euros over FY'24), total cash out related to investing activities amounted to 276 million Euros, slightly below the 290 million Euros initially planned, as the Group uses agility in deploying capacity in line with customer demand. This takes into account 17 million Euros of financial income from cash investment. Capital expenditure was essentially related to industrial investments:
Capital expenditure also included capitalized development costs, notably related to SmartSiC™ technology, investments supporting the Group's environmental policy and IT investments.
Net cash used in financing activities amounted to 33 million Euros in FY'24 essentially reflecting a net decrease in borrowings and related interest paid, as well as 8 million Euros dedicated to the implementation of a liquidity contract.
In total, including a 3 million Euros negative impact of exchange rate fluctuations (6 million Euros positive impact in FY'23), the net cash outflow reached 80 million Euros in FY'24 (compared to a cash generation of 60 million Euros in FY'23) leading to a cash position of 708 million Euros on March 31 , 2024.
Strong balance sheet maintained
Soitec maintained a strong balance sheet as of March 31 , 2024.
Shareholders' equity increased by 189 million Euros in FY'24 to 1.5 billion Euros on March 31 , 2024, mainly attributed to the net profit generated during the period.
Financial debt stood at 747 million Euros on March 31 , 2024. This represents a 99 million Euros increase compared to March 31 , 2023, resulting from a net increase in leasing debt, including the arrangement of the first tranche of the lease secured for Bernin 4 for 59 million Euros and other lease agreements to finance production equipment for 51 million Euros.
The combination of the 99 million Euros increase in financial debt and the 80 million Euros cash outflow led to a net debt position of 39 million Euros on March 31 , 2024 compared to a net cash position of 140 million Euros on March 31 , 2023,
FY'25 outlook confirmed
Soitec confirms expecting FY'25 revenue to be stable year on year at constant exchange rates and perimeter as compared to FY'24. However, as previously reported, the level of RF-SOI inventories at some foundries remains high, which will impact the first half of FY'25 performance. H1'25 revenue is expected to decline by around 15% year-on-year, at constant exchange rates and perimeter, with a low point expected in Q1'25. Soitec then anticipates revenue to rebound in the second half of FY'25, driven by the recovery of the RF-SOI activity following the end of the inventory correction. Besides, Soitec will continue to benefit from the strong structural demand for other SOI products, the continued adoption of POI and the start of the SmartSiC ramp-up.
Soitec also confirms expecting FY'25 EBITDA margin to be around 35%.
FY'25 Capital expenditure is expected to be around 250 million Euros in order to support growth beyond FY'25. The Group will continue to invest in capacity expansion: 300mm SOI in Singapore, POI ramp up and SmartSiC tools in France. The Group will also continue ongoing investments in innovation, sustainability as well as IT and cybersecurity investments.
Soitec confidently foresees its long-term growth trajectory to resume rapidly after the end of the RF-SOI inventory correction. The strong penetration of 5G, the advent of electrification for automotive and the acceleration of artificial intelligence provide significant growth opportunities, thanks in particular to the successful expansion of Soitec's product portfolio, both in SOI and Compound semiconductors.
As a reminder, in line with what Soitec communicated in its March 27 2024 press release, Soitec confirms that no more guidance will be given beyond yearly guidance. For more details regarding the mid-term ambition, please refer to the investors slide presentation released on May 23 , 2024.
Changes in Soitec Board of Directors: Frédéric Lissalde to be proposed as Director at the next Annual General Meeting
Following the recommendation of the Compensation and Nominations Committee, Soitec's Board of Directors today unanimously decided to propose the appointment of Frédéric Lissalde for a three-year term as Director, at the next Annual General Meeting to be held on 23rd July, 2024.
Frédéric Lissalde is President and CEO of BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE) an American group world leader in mobility solutions, with sales of about $14 billion. Frédéric Lissalde will bring experience at the helm of a global industrial company as well as a deep knowledge of the challenges around the transformation of the global automotive sector. He will serve as an independent Director in accordance with the provisions of the AFEP-MEDEF Code.
At the Annual General Meeting, the Board will also propose the reappointments of Françoise Chombar, Satoshi Onishi and Shuo Zhang, as announced on March 27, 2024.
The Board of Directors also took note of the decisions of the CGT Soitec and the Métallurgie Isère CFE-CGC trade unions to reappoint Wissème Allali and Didier Landru respectively as Directors representing employees, as from the next Annual General Meeting, for a further three-year term.
Biography of Frédéric Lissalde
Frédéric Lissalde joined BorgWarner Inc., a world leader in mobility solutions, in 2000 and has served as President and CEO since 2018. He previously held positions at Valeo and ZF in program management, product engineering, operations and sales in the UK, Japan and France. Frédéric Lissalde has been a member of the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc (NYSE) since 2020. He holds a master's degree in engineering from ENSAM - Paris, and an MBA from HEC Paris. He has also attended several executive education programs at INSEAD, Harvard, Standford and MIT.
Key events of FY'24
Soitec inaugurates new production facility in Bernin dedicated to SmartSiC™ substrates
On September 28 , 2023, Soitec inaugurated its new plant in Bernin dedicated to SmartSiC™ substrates for future generations of electric vehicles, a key step in the execution of its growth ambitions. Soitec aims at positioning SmartSiC™, a technology based on silicon carbide (SiC), as a future electric-vehicle standard with improved efficiency for energy conversion systems. Soitec's patented SmartCut™ technology allows each conventional monoSiC substrate to be re-used more than 10 times, reducing CO emissions during wafer manufacturing by 70%.
Soitec introduces new water reuse process, first of its kind in Europe
On January 15 , 2024, Soitec announced the launch of a new industrial installation allowing substrate rinse water to be partially reused in the production of ultra-pure water for cleanrooms at its French manufacturing facilities, an important milestone in its continuous improvement of resource management. Thanks to this innovation, the first of its kind in Europe at this scale, Soitec intends to significantly increase the proportion of water that can be reused in its industrial processes. The wastewater reuse rate at its historic site in Bernin (Isère) is thereby expected to rise from 19% in 2023 to over 35% in 2024.
At the same time, Soitec continues to reduce its water consumption. The 30% reduction per unit produced achieved between 2021 and 2023 will be complemented by a further 30% reduction by 2030.
Signature of IPCEI 2 grant contract
On January 26 , 2024, Soitec signed a contract regarding financial support from 2022 to 2026 from the French State through the France 2030 program. This project has been validated by the European Commission as part of the Important Project of Common European Interest Microelectronics and Connectivity (IPCEI ME/TC) 2026. In line with the objectives set out in the European Chips Act Communication, the measure will strengthen Europe's security of supply and sovereignty in semiconductor technologies.
This funding will mainly be used to support Research & Development and first industrialisation activities and will contribute to the ramp-up of the Bernin 4 (SmartSiC™) and Bernin 3 (POI) factories.
Eric Meurice to step down as a Director and Chairman of the Board
On March 27 , 2024, the Board of Directors took note of Eric Meurice's decision not to seek renewal of his mandate as Director at the next Annual General Meeting of shareholders on July 23th, 2024. At that date, Eric Meurice will step down as a Director and as Chairman of the Board. He will take on the role of strategic advisory to the Chief Executive Officer for a period of one year.
Christophe Gégout, currently independent Referent Director, Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee and member of the Strategic and ESG Committees, will replace Eric Meurice as Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Strategic Committee for a transitional period, effective from the close of the Annual General Meeting. Christophe Gégout will be replaced as Referent Director by the independent Director Delphine Segura-Vaylet and as Chair of the Audit and Risks Committee by the independent Director Shuo Zhang.
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FY'24 results will be commented during an analyst and investor meeting in Paris on May 23 , 2024, at 2pm CET. The meeting will be held in English.
The live webcast and slide presentation will be available on:
https://channel.royalcast.com/soitec/#!/soitec/20240523_1
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Agenda
Soitec's Annual General Meeting will be held on July 23 , 2024.
Q1'25 revenue is due to be published on July 23 , 2024, after market close.
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Disclaimer
This document is provided by Soitec (the “Company”) for information purposes only.
The Company's business operations and financial position are described in the Company's Universal Registration Document (which notably includes the Annual Financial Report). The 2023-2024 Universal registration Document will be filed with the French stock market authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, or AMF) on June 5 , 2024. . The French version of the 2023 - 2024 Universal Registration Document, together with English courtesy translation for information purposes of both documents, are available for consultation on the Company's website (www.soitec.com), in the section Company - Investors - Financial Reports.
Your attention is drawn to the risk factors described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the Company's Universal Registration Document.
This document contains summary information and should be read in conjunction with the Universal Registration Document.
This document contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company's future prospects, developments and strategy and are based on analyses of earnings forecasts and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties as they relate to future events and are dependent on circumstances that may or may not materialize in the future. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of the Company's future performance. The occurrence of any of the risks described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the Universal Registration Document may have an impact on these forward-looking statements. In particular, the future consequences of geopolitical conflicts, notably the Ukraine / Russia situation, as well as rising inflation, may result in greater impacts than currently anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
The Company's actual financial position, results and cash flows, as well as the trends in the sector in which the Company operates may differ materially from those contained in this document. Furthermore, even if the Company's financial position, results, cash-flows and the developments in the sector in which the Company operates were to conform to the forward-looking statements contained in this document, such elements cannot be construed as a reliable indication of the Company's future results or developments.
The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or make any correction to any forward-looking statement in order to reflect an event or circumstance that may occur after the date of this document.
This document does not constitute or form part of an offer or a solicitation to purchase, subscribe for, or sell the Company's securities in any country whatsoever. This document, or any part thereof, shall not form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract, commitment or investment decision.
Notably, this document does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase, subscribe for or to sell securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company's shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act. Neither the Company nor any other person intends to conduct a public offering of the Company's securities in the United States.
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About Soitec
Soitec (Euronext - Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 1 billion Euros in fiscal year 2023-2024. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: mobile communications, automotive and industrial, and smart devices. The company relies on the talent and diversity of its 2,100 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Soitec has registered over 4,000 patents.
Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.
For more information: https://www.soitec.com/en/ and follow us on X : @Soitec_Official
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Financial information and consolidated financial statements in appendix include:
Appendix 1 – Consolidated revenue per quarter
Consolidated financial statements for FY'24
As previously reported, Soitec's refocus on Electronics operations decided in January 2015 was nearly completed on March 31 , 2016. Consequently, the FY'24 residual income and expenses relating to Solar and Other activities are reported under 'Net result from discontinued operations', below the 'Operating income' line, meaning that down to the line 'Net result after tax from continuing operations', the consolidated income statement fully and exclusively reflects the Electronics activity as well as the Group's corporate functions expenses. This was already the case in FY'23 financial statements.
Appendix 2 - Consolidated income statement
Appendix 3 - Balance sheet
Appendix 4 - Consolidated cash-flows
(1) According to IFRS, the cash used in investing activities is calculated net of investments financed through leasing, which accounted for 51 million Euros in FY'24 and 16 million Euros in FY'23. Total cash out related to investing activities, therefore amounted to 276 million Euros in FY'24 and 244 million Euros in FY'23.
The EBITDA represents operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment of non-current assets, non-cash items relating to share-based payments, provisions for impairment of current assets and for contingencies and expenses, and disposals gains and losses. EBITDA is not a financial indicator defined by IFRS and may not be comparable to EBITDA as reported by other groups. It represents additional information and should not be considered as a substitute for operating income or net cash generated by operating activities.
EBITDA margin = EBITDA from continuing operations / Revenue.
Audit procedures were completed and the audit report is in the process of being issued.
There was no scope effect in Q4'24
There was no scope effect in FY'24
EBITDA from continuing operations
The net cash position represents cash and cash equivalents less financial debt. A positive net cash position reflects cash and cash equivalents higher than financial debt. A net debt position reflects cash and cash equivalents lower than financial debt.
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