AI Boom Lifts Besi: Chip Equipment Maker Projects Significant Revenue Jump on Strong Data Center Orders

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker BE Semiconductor Industries (Besi) is forecasting a notable rise in its fourth-quarter revenue, supported by growing demand for packaging systems used in AI-focused data centers.

According to the company, sales in the coming quarter are projected to climb by roughly 12–22% compared with the third quarter. The upbeat forecast follows a difficult stretch earlier in the year, when revenue slipped by a little over 10% from the previous year to approximately €130 million. Chief Executive Richard Blickman explained that the downturn reflected weaker activity in traditional assembly markets—especially mobile and automotive segments—as well as softer demand for hybrid bonding equipment.

Despite this slowdown, Besi saw a clear rebound in new orders. Third-quarter bookings increased by roughly 13% year over year and about 35% compared with the previous quarter, reaching close to €170 million. The company attributed the surge to stronger demand from Asian contract manufacturers for advanced 2.5D packaging solutions and renewed investment from photonics customers preparing for higher-capacity data-center applications.

Blickman said that the improving order flow shows how rapidly the industry is expanding its packaging capabilities to keep pace with the computing power needed for new generations of AI chips. Besi’s precision tools—particularly its hybrid bonding systems—have positioned the company as a key supplier for major chip producers, including Nvidia, Broadcom, and TSMC.

For the third quarter, Besi reported diluted earnings per share of about €0.30, down from around €0.60 a year earlier. Net income fell by roughly 45% to just above €25 million, while its gross margin remained strong at roughly 62%. The company expects its gross margin in the next quarter to remain within a similar range, between about 60% and 63%.

To optimize its capital structure and offset dilution from stock-based compensation and convertible notes, Besi unveiled a new €60 million share buyback initiative. This program will begin following the completion of its previous €100 million repurchase effort earlier this autumn.

Across the broader semiconductor landscape, manufacturers continue to face sluggish recovery in demand as customer inventories normalize more slowly than anticipated. While strong interest in AI chips has provided some relief, other sectors—particularly automotive, personal computing, and memory—remain under pressure. Industry leader TSMC, however, recently raised its annual sales outlook after posting stronger-than-expected profits, suggesting that the AI-related segment could help stabilize growth across the chip ecosystem.