Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) reported steady fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with revenue growth, stable margins, and earnings at the high end of company guidance, as the semiconductor designer continued to lean on automotive and artificial intelligence (AI) applications to offset softer consumer electronics demand.
Net revenue for the quarter reached $203.1 million, marking a 2.0% sequential increase and surpassing the company’s flat guidance. Gross margin stood at 30.4%, broadly in line with expectations, while after-tax profit totaled $6.3 million, equivalent to $0.036 per diluted American Depositary Share (ADS).
The performance reflected disciplined cost control and targeted investments, even as the broader electronics market remained uneven. Revenue slightly exceeded forecasts, demonstrating resilience in a challenging environment.
Segment Performance
Large display driver revenue climbed to $21.7 million, up 14.2% quarter over quarter, aided by rush orders for legacy TV and notebook integrated circuits and restocking by panel makers. Sales from this category represented 10.7% of total quarterly revenue.
Meanwhile, the small and medium-sized display driver segment generated $139.1 million, down modestly by 1.3% sequentially. Automotive driver sales within the segment rose about 10%, supported by adoption of the company’s TDDI technology across global customers.
Non-driver products delivered another bright spot, with revenue increasing 7.9% to $42.3 million, driven primarily by higher timing controller shipments for projector and automotive applications.
Despite continued softness in consumer electronics, automotive and AI-related uses showed comparatively stronger demand, underscoring the company’s growing exposure to structurally expanding technology markets.
Full-Year Overview
For fiscal 2025, Himax posted revenue of $832.2 million, representing an 8.2% year-over-year decline, while gross margin improved slightly to 30.6%. Net profit attributable to shareholders came in at $43.9 million, or $0.25 per diluted ADS, down from the prior year as operating income also fell amid persistent market headwinds.
Small and medium-sized drivers remained the dominant contributor, accounting for 69.1% of total sales, while non-driver products grew 7.0% year over year, signaling progress in diversification efforts.
Operating expenses edged up 1.1% to $210.2 million, largely due to higher tape-out and salary costs as well as currency effects.
Outlook and Strategy
Looking ahead, the company expects first-quarter 2026 revenue to decline 2% to 6% sequentially, with gross margin projected to remain flat to slightly lower. Management anticipates the first quarter will mark the year’s trough, followed by improving momentum supported by lean customer inventories and new automotive projects entering mass production.
President and Chief Executive Officer Jordan Wu highlighted expansion beyond traditional display integrated circuits into areas such as ultralow-power AI for endpoint devices, augmented-reality microdisplays, and co-packaged optics—technologies he said carry “exciting upside potential” in the coming years.
Overall, Himax closed 2025 with stable profitability and improving product mix, positioning the company to capitalize on emerging opportunities in automotive electronics and AI-enabled devices even as macroeconomic uncertainty continues to weigh on parts of the semiconductor industry.