Some multinational semiconductor players are going ahead with their investments in new semiconductor foundries as they take a long-term view on global tech demand.
PETALING JAYA: The recovery of global semiconductor demand will hinge on China, given its commanding market share.
With no clear signs on how the country can fully extricate itself from the epidemic, supply chain challenges are expected to remain going into 2023.
However, some multinational semiconductor players are going ahead with their investments in new semiconductor foundries as they take a long-term view on global tech demand.
This will benefit contractors including gas infrastructure providers.
“The other bright spot in the technology sector is the recession-proof cybersecurity service,” said Kenanga Research in a report.
The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics changed its forecast for global semiconductor demand growth in 2023 to a contraction of 4.1% in end-November 2022 from a 4.6% expansion forecast three months before.
Despite the uncertainties over the immediate term, the semiconductor companies remain upbeat on the sector’s long-term prospects, underpinned by new technology-driven goods and services such as 5G connectivity and electric vehicles (EVs), which are still at their infancy.
This is especially true for the infrastructure that support and facilitate these products such as cellular base stations, EV charging stations and data centres.
There will be an increasing proportion of these sales being fulfilled by the remaining inventory instead of new inventory replenishment.
The research house has a “neutral’’ call on the technology sector and its top picks are Kelington Group Bhd
and LGMS Bhd.
It likes Kelington for being a direct proxy to the front-end wafer fab expansion, its robust earnings visibility underpinned by both robust order book and tender book exceeding RM1bil, and its strong foothold in multiple markets – Malaysia, Singapore and China.
LGMS has unique exposure to the growing cybersecurity business and new proprietary certification software is expected to be its next earnings driver.
Automotive-centric players such as D&O Green Technologies Bhd have indicated that their seasonally stronger fourth quarter may not materialise, as car manufacturers are prioritising clearing off existing built-up inventory and have toned down order forecasts for the next two quarters in anticipation of heightened economic uncertainty.
Such sentiment has been echoed by the likes of JHM Consolidated Bhd.
The US smartphone maker has also warned of longer-than-expected delivery time for its latest smartphone model in the upcoming festive season.
This will likely dampen Inari Amertron Bhd’s growth, given that about 60% of its revenue comes from the smartphone radio frequency segment, Kenanga Research said.
Although Inari has switched its strategy to focus on legacy models, it may still struggle against the waning consumer demand for premium purchases.
