SUMCO, one of the world's largest suppliers of silicon wafers to chipmakers, swung to a first-half operating loss even as shipments of its largest wafers climbed on AI-related demand. The Tokyo-listed company reported consolidated sales of ¥215.0bn for the six months to June 2026, up 4.7% from a year earlier, but posted an operating loss of ¥6.36bn against an operating profit of ¥7.46bn in the same period last year. Ordinary loss came to ¥12.18bn and the net loss attributable to shareholders reached ¥12.9bn, versus a ¥3.08bn profit a year earlier.
| Metric | H1 2025 (actual) | H1 2026 (actual) | Jan-Sep 2026 (forecast) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | ¥205.4bn | ¥215.0bn | ¥333.0bn |
| Operating profit/loss | ¥7.46bn profit | ¥6.36bn loss | ¥6.3bn loss |
| Ordinary profit/loss | ¥4.72bn profit | ¥12.18bn loss | ¥11.1bn loss |
| Net profit/loss (parent) | ¥3.08bn profit | ¥12.9bn loss | ¥12.8bn loss |
The gap between rising volume and falling profit traces to a split market. SUMCO said shipments of 300mm wafers, the larger-diameter format used for advanced logic and memory chips, increased sharply on continued demand from AI and data-center customers, while shipments of 200mm-and-smaller wafers also rose but showed mixed strength depending on customer and product. The company is reorganizing production for the smaller wafers to improve efficiency and profitability. At its results briefing, management said long-term agreement prices held steady while renegotiation of spot prices has begun.
For the nine months to September, SUMCO forecasts cumulative sales of ¥333.0bn, up 9.4% year on year, but still expects an operating loss of ¥6.3bn, an ordinary loss of ¥11.1bn and a net loss of ¥12.8bn. The forecast assumes an exchange rate of ¥160 to the dollar for the July-to-September period.
The board kept the interim dividend at ¥10 per share, matching both its May forecast and last year's interim payout, for a total distribution of ¥3.5bn. SUMCO said the year-end dividend remains undecided, to be set once profit levels, capital spending needs, free cash flow and available EBITDA become clearer. The equity ratio fell to 50.0% from 51.3% at the end of last year as the balance sheet absorbs the loss. The company also flagged Middle East tensions as a risk to electricity and material procurement costs, though it said current operations are unaffected.