BESI flags big HBM gear growth

BE Semiconductor Industries (BESI) forecasts 46% revenue growth in 2026, fueled by surging demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) assembly equipment. (besi.com) High-bandwidth memory stacks multiple DRAM chips vertically using through-silicon vias—tiny vertical wires—like floors in a skyscraper connected by express elevators, enabling faster data access for AI chips. (semianalysis.com) BESI's key products include die attachers and molders for HBM4, the next generation after HBM3E, which bonds 16 or more layers to handle AI training workloads that HBM3 can't match in speed or density. (besi.com) The company projects assembly equipment sales to hit €1.1 billion next year, up from €750 million in 2025, with gross margins exceeding 63% due to high-volume orders from memory giants like SK Hynix and Micron. (reuters.com) AI data centers now consume over 40% of new DRAM production for HBM, tightening supply chains and shortening equipment upgrade cycles from 3-4 years to 18-24 months. (tomshardware.com) HBM4, expected in volume production by late 2026, doubles data bandwidth to 2.5 TB/s per stack versus HBM3E's 1.2 TB/s, addressing Nvidia's Blackwell GPU needs for trillion-parameter models. (anandtech.com) BESI's Q1 2026 bookings doubled year-over-year to €400 million, with 80% tied to advanced packaging tools amid a global chip equipment market projected to grow 10% to $120 billion. (besemi.com) Competitors like Kulicke & Soffa lag in hybrid bonding for 3D stacking, giving BESI a lead as foundries like TSMC ramp 3D-IC processes for co-packaged optics in AI servers. (seekingenroute.substack.com) Shares jumped 8% to €185 on the Amsterdam exchange after the outlook, outpacing peers as analysts raise price targets to €220 citing HBM's multi-year ramp. (finance.yahoo.com) BESI's CEO Peter van Bommel said, "HBM4 and 3D packaging cycles are accelerating faster than anticipated, positioning us for sustained outperformance." (besemi.com)