Aixtron SE reported a stronger start to the year driven by optoelectronics demand, announcing first-quarter orders of €171 million on Wednesday - well ahead of the analyst projection of €123 million. The company said that 65% of Q1 orders originated from its optoelectronics business.
Reflecting the order strength, Aixtron lifted its fiscal 2026 revenue forecast to €560 million, plus or minus €30 million, revising up from the prior projection of €520 million, plus or minus €30 million. The updated guide represents a roughly 5% increase over analyst consensus of €534 million, based on an assumed exchange rate of 1.20 USD/EUR.
Management also adjusted profitability targets upward. Gross margin guidance was raised to around 42%, up from the prior range of 41% to 42%. The company increased its expected EBIT margin to approximately 17% to 20%, compared with the earlier 16% to 19% band.
For the first quarter, Aixtron recorded revenue of €59 million, which falls within the previously issued guidance of €65 million, plus or minus €10 million. Despite the top-line holding within the guided range, reported profitability for the quarter missed expectations: gross margin came in at 18% while EBIT margin was negative 38%. Aixtron attributed the shortfall to a mid-single-digit million euro one-off charge stemming from a personnel measure.
The company said its order backlog climbed 43% quarter-over-quarter to €370 million. Management pointed to continued robust demand in optoelectronics and higher sales of its G10 tools, noting that strength in datacom optoelectronics underpins the upgraded outlook.
Key context from the update includes the concentration of new orders in optoelectronics, the revised full-year revenue and margin targets, the impact of a one-off personnel-related charge on Q1 margins, and a materially larger backlog at the end of the quarter.
No additional forecasts or external context beyond the company statements were introduced. The figures and statements above are presented as disclosed by the company.