Price Competition in Manufacturing Equipment and Rising Prices for Materials and Purchased Items

「Segment profit amounted to ¥64 million, down 95.7% year on year, mainly due to lower sales and higher raw material prices.」

「In semiconductor front-end equipment, equipment for masks and silicon wafers increased, but equipment for logic/foundry applications for the Chinese market, which had performed better than expected in the same period of the previous year, declined. As a result, the semiconductor front-end business as a whole declined from the same period of the previous year, partly due to the impact of changes in some customers' investment timing.」

「In semiconductor back-end processes, equipment for advanced packaging remained solid. In front-end processes, however, orders decreased from the high level recorded in the year-earlier period, as some customers revised their capital investment plans, mainly for wafer-related equipment.」

「Orders declined from the high level recorded in the same period of the previous year due to reviews of customers' capital investment timing, although the semiconductor business as a whole remained firm. Meanwhile, the FPD business remained weak. As a result, orders for the six-month period of the current second quarter amounted to ¥33,258 million, down 29.9% year on year.」

「FPD front-end equipment remained weak due to the impact of customers' capital investment. As a result, orders for the segment as a whole declined from the same period of the previous year to ¥11,521 million, down 47.2% year on year.」

「Meanwhile, the FPD business remained weak as customers reviewed their capital investment plans.」

「In FPD back-end equipment, equipment for large panels performed solidly, but sales declined from the same period of the previous year due to the impact of some customers postponing their investment plans.」

「In FPD back-end equipment, equipment for large panels performed solidly, but sales declined from the same period of the previous year due to the impact of some customers postponing their investment plans.」

「In the FPD (Flat Panel Display) industry, customers continued to review their investment plans.」

「In FPD back-end equipment, customers postponed investment plans, and business remained weak for both large panels and small and medium-sized panels, resulting in lower sales than in the same period of the previous year.」

「In FPD back-end equipment, customers postponed investment plans, and business remained weak for both large panels and small and medium-sized panels, resulting in lower sales than in the same period of the previous year.」

「During the nine-month period of the current third quarter, the Group's business environment was as follows. In the FPD (Flat Panel Display) industry, capital investment in equipment for both large panels and small and medium-sized panels continued, mainly in China, although some customers postponed deliveries or delayed investment decisions. In the semiconductor industry, capital investment in equipment for logic/foundry applications and in China remained firm, although some customers delayed investment decisions and the recovery in capital investment for memory applications was delayed. In addition, capital investment by OSATs (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers) continued to show a restrained trend.」

「Orders for vacuum equipment declined due to changes in customers' capital investment plans, mainly for film-forming equipment for automotive and electronic component applications, but sales edged up.」

「Orders for vacuum equipment declined due to changes in customers' capital investment plans and other factors.」

「The electronics industry, our main customer base, is subject to intense price competition across products, and customers tend to control investment costs for manufacturing equipment. In addition, rising prices for materials and purchased components may result in higher product costs.」

「In semiconductor front-end equipment, orders for foundry customers declined due to changes in customers' capital investment plans and other factors, while orders from Chinese manufacturers increased, resulting in firm performance. Sales declined due to the impact of lower orders from foundry customers.」

「At the Group, orders for FPD (Flat Panel Display) manufacturing equipment declined due to the impact of changes in investment plans as customers shifted investment from LCDs to OLEDs, as well as the impact of yen appreciation. Sales increased, mainly for small and medium-sized panels. Orders for semiconductor manufacturing equipment were in line with the same period of the previous year, but sales declined, partly due to stagnant demand for bonding equipment.」

「Orders for FPD (Flat Panel Display) manufacturing equipment declined, partly due to shifts in customers' investment timing, but sales were in line with the same period of the previous year. Orders for semiconductor manufacturing equipment also declined, partly due to shifts in customers' investment timing and lower demand for manufacturing equipment for mobile devices, but sales increased as sales of front-end equipment grew.」

「The electronics industry, our Group's main customer base, is subject to intense price competition across products, and customers tend to control investment costs for manufacturing equipment. In addition, rising prices for materials and purchased components may result in higher product costs.」