Chip biz bumps Wacker Chemie 2Q results

Wacker Chemie AG expects FY06 sales will grow about 20% to 3.3 billion euros (US $4.23 million), better than the 10% estimate cast just three months ago, and has tacked on an additional 70-90 million euros ($90-$115 million to its earnings estimates, thanks to brisk business in its semiconductor unit.

Total group sales were 830.4 million ($1.04 billion) in 2Q, up 4% vs. the prior quarter and 18% from 2Q05. Net profits were just about flat sequentially (66.5 million euros/$85.3 million), but more than twice the levels from a year ago. Wacker’s Siltronic wafer manufacturing unit also saw earnings before charges more than double year-on-year, to 73.0 million euros ($93.7 million), on 39% higher sales of about 300 million euros ($385.3 million).

Demand for 300mm wafers (growing three times the rate of other wafer products) and expansion of capacity at the unit’s facility in Freiberg were behind the growth, the company noted.

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