As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the analog semiconductors industry, including Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) and its peers.
Demand for analog chips is generally linked to the overall level of economic growth, as analog chips serve as the building blocks of most electronic goods and equipment. Unlike digital chip designers, analog chip makers tend to produce the majority of their own chips, as analog chip production does not require expensive leading edge nodes. Less dependent on major secular growth drivers, analog product cycles are much longer, often 5-7 years.
The 14 analog semiconductors stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 7,654% above.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.1% on average since the latest earnings results.
Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED)
Serving major consumer electronics manufacturers, Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) is a provider of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies used in display and lighting applications.
Universal Display reported revenues of $162.3 million, up 2.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 8.7%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
“We are pleased to report that 2024 was a record-breaking year of solid financial performance,” said Brian Millard, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Universal Display Corporation.
Universal Display achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. The stock is up 6.8% since reporting and currently trades at $157.30.
Is now the time to buy Universal Display? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free .
Best Q4: Himax (NASDAQ:HIMX)
Taiwan-based Himax Technologies (NASDAQ:HIMX) is a leading manufacturer of display driver chips and timing controllers used in TVs, laptops, and mobile phones.
Himax reported revenues of $237.2 million, up 4.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.3%. The business had an incredible quarter with a significant improvement in its inventory levels and an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 16.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $10.63.
Is now the time to buy Himax? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free .
Slowest Q4: Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH)
Named after the founder's ancestral village in present-day Lithuania, Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH) manufactures simple chips and electronic components that are building blocks of virtually all types of electronic devices.
Vishay Intertechnology reported revenues of $714.7 million, down 9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and EPS estimates.
Interestingly, the stock is up 12.2% since the results and currently trades at $18.63.
Read our full analysis of Vishay Intertechnology’s results here.
NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI)
Spun off from Dutch electronics giant Philips in 2006, NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI) is a designer and manufacturer of chips used in autos, industrial manufacturing, mobile devices, and communications infrastructure.
NXP Semiconductors reported revenues of $3.11 billion, down 9.1% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but an increase in its inventory levels.
The stock is up 15.6% since reporting and currently trades at $236.54.
Read our full, actionable report on NXP Semiconductors here, it’s free.
Impinj (NASDAQ:PI)
Founded by Caltech professor Carver Mead and one of his students Chris Diorio, Impinj (NASDAQ:PI) is a maker of radio-frequency identification (RFID) hardware and software.
Impinj reported revenues of $91.57 million, up 29.6% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and an increase in its inventory levels.
The stock is down 23.9% since reporting and currently trades at $96.75.
Read our full, actionable report on Impinj here, it’s free.
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