(Reuters) – Chipmaker Onsemi projected fourth-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street estimates on Monday, citing persistent soft demand for semiconductors in the auto sector.
The outlook contrasts with more optimistic commentary from companies like Texas Instruments, which reported improving demand from China’s car market.
“For the full year 2024, we don’t expect meaningful market growth,” Onsemi CEO Hassane El-Khoury said on a post-earnings call.
Still, Onsemi shares were 2.7% higher in volatile trading as its third-quarter revenue and profit slightly beat estimates. The stock has declined 14% this year due to concerns about slowing demand for automotive chips.
The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company forecast fourth-quarter revenue to be between $1.71 billion and $1.81 billion, the mid-point of which was slightly below analysts’ view of $1.77 billion, according to estimates compiled by LSEG.
Onsemi, whose customers include Chinese carmakers Li Auto, BYD and Xpeng said that its China revenue did not increase at the level expected for the second half of the year due to lower automobile demand.
Third-quarter revenue from the automotive end-market was $951.2 million, declining 17.8% year-over-year.
Overall, Onsemi reported third-quarter revenue of $1.76 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $1.75 billion. On an adjusted basis, it earned 99 cents per share, surpassing the estimated 97 cents.
Under Hassane El-Khoury — who took over as CEO in 2020 — Onsemi has been increasing its investment in silicon carbide, a key component for both electric vehicles and data centers.
“We secured design wins with three of the top four hyperscalers in North America, which are expected to contribute to revenue in 2025,” El-Khoury said about the data centers.
(Reporting by Rishi Kant in Bengaluru)
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