Advantest Boosts Profit Forecast on Strong Demand for AI Chip Testing Tools
Tokyo, Japan - Advantest Corporation (TYO: 6857), a leading manufacturer of semiconductor testing equipment, has raised its full-year operating profit forecast by 37% on the back of robust demand for its tools used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
CEO Douglas Lefever attributed the positive outlook to surging demand for testers specifically designed for high-performance semiconductors used in AI-related tasks. "We have observed sustained growth in tester demand for AI-driven, high-performance semiconductors," Lefever stated during an earnings briefing.
Advantest now anticipates operating income of 226 billion yen ($1.46 billion) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. The company's efforts to enhance supply chain management have enabled it to expedite delivery to customers in the high-performance computing (HPC) and AI sectors, according to Lefever.
Operating income for the October-December quarter soared by 158% to 69.2 billion yen.
Despite recent market turbulence sparked by the introduction of an AI model by Chinese startup DeepSeek, Advantest remains upbeat. Lefever emphasized that the company has not received any indications of revised forecasts from its customers.
He further highlighted that ongoing AI development, encompassing diverse AI models, holds long-term growth prospects for semiconductor demand and testing.