Aixtron Financial Performance Jumps in H1 2010
Source/Type: News - Staff reports

Author: CompoundSemi News Staff

August 9, 2010... MOCVD equipment maker Aixtron posted a very strong performance for the first half of 2010. The net income jumped a massive 742 percent compared to the same period of 2009. The H1/2010 operating result increased year on year by 769 percent to EUR 106.9 Million. The company cited high ongoing system demand, mainly from high brightness LED backlighting and lighting applications. A stronger U.S. dollar also positively influenced the results. The net income improved by 33 percent over Q1/2010 from EUR 31.8m to EUR 42.3m or 22 percent of sales.

Paul Hyland, president and CEO at Aixtron, commented, "It seems clear to me that a combination of the positive volume and performance effect the backlighting applications have had on LED industry yields and efficiencies and the sustained government subsidies we are now seeing, are creating tangible momentum in the development of Solid State Lighting applications. This is an early and very encouraging development."

Hyland added, "The macro perspective is that the industry is clearly moving from a technical niche market to a more sustainable and larger commodity market, and this development is already having a corresponding effect on the expectations of customers who are demanding, better performing products with better cost of ownership, which in turn is driving shorter product cycles and for us; increased R&D investments." Anticipating continuing robust demand for its systems the Executive Board reportedly raised the expected results for the full year 2010 to 750 Million in revenue.

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