• Order entry of EUR 99.6 million exceeds market expectations
• Order backlog rises to EUR 373.2 million and forms the basis for further growth
• Sales up 11.2 percent thanks to strong development in Photomask Solutions division
• Gross and EBIT margin within internal expectations, but not yet satisfactory
• Forecast for 2023 confirmed

Garching, Germany, May 11, 2023 – SÜSS MicroTec SE, a leading manufacturer of systems and process solutions for the semiconductor industry and related markets, published its Quarterly Report for the first three months of the 2023 fiscal year today.

In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, SUSS MicroTec succeeded in significantly increasing its order entry – compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 – to EUR 99.6 million, exceeding the expectations of the company as well as those of the market. Compared to the especially strong opening quarter in the 2022 fiscal year, new business was down 15.3 percent. The Advanced Backend Solutions division, which since this year has combined the previously separate Lithography and Bonder divisions, accounted for more than 50 percent of order entry at EUR 56.2 million. In regional terms, more than 70 percent of the orders came from Asia. “With regard to the investment readiness of many semiconductor manufacturers, various industry experts anticipated a subdued first half of 2023. For this reason, we are all more than pleased with our strong order entry of around EUR 100 million,” says Dr. Bernd Schulte, CEO of SÜSS MicroTec SE.

The order backlog rose to EUR 373.2 million as of March 31, 2023, and continues to be the basis for SUSS MicroTec’s further targeted growth. Due to the high order backlog and high capacity utilization, most new orders received in the 2023 fiscal year cannot be delivered and recognized in sales until the 2024 fiscal year.

In the first three months of the 2023 fiscal year, sales increased by 11.2 percent to EUR 70.4 million (previous year: EUR 63.3 million). The major growth driver was the Photomask Solutions division. In this division, sales almost tripled from EUR 7.8 million to EUR 23.1 million due to the very high order backlog and sustained positive demand. Sales in the Advanced Backend Solutions and MicroOptics divisions both declined.

In the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year, the gross profit margin was 33.1 percent (previous year: 33.2 percent) and thus below the targeted margin for the full year. The primary reason was the unfavorable product mix in the Bonder business and in the MicroOptics division. EBIT in the first quarter increased by EUR 0.8 million or around 38 percent to EUR 2.9 million (previous year: EUR 2.1 million). The operational quarterly earnings corresponded to an EBIT margin of 4.1 percent (previous year: 3.3 percent).

Outlook
Provided that there is no unexpected deterioration in the supply bottlenecks currently remaining in certain areas or in the situation of the global economy in general and of the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment market in particular, the company continues to expect sales in a range of EUR 320 to 360 million for the full year 2023. In the middle of the forecast range, this would correspond to growth of 13.7 percent compared to the previous year. The management expects the higher level of sales and the associated economies of scale to lead to an improvement in EBIT. For the full year 2023, SUSS MicroTec expects the EBIT margin to be in a range of 10 to 12 percent. Looking at the order backlog and the product mix of equipment deliveries planned for 2023, the company expects a gross margin in the range of 37 to 38 percent for the full year 2023 despite the still unsatisfactory margin development in the opening quarter. The forecast for all three key performance indicators is thus confirmed.

The Quarterly Report for the first three months of the 2023 fiscal year is available at www.suss.com/en/investor-relations in German and English.

Media contact:
Sven Koepsel
Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +49 89 32007151

About SUSS MicroTec
SUSS MicroTec is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets. In close cooperation with research institutes and industry partners SUSS MicroTec contributes to the advancement of next-generation technologies such as 3D Integration and nanoimprint lithography as well as key processes for MEMS and LED manufacturing. With a global infrastructure for applications and service SUSS MicroTec supports more than 8.000 installed systems worldwide. SUSS MicroTec is headquartered in Garching near Munich, Germany. The shares of SUSS MicroTec SE are traded in the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A10K0235). For more information, please visit http://www.suss.com.

Legal Disclaimer
All statements in this release other than historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "estimate", "should", "may", "will", "plan" and similar words and terms used in relation to the enterprise are meant to indicate forward-looking statements of this kind. The company accepts no obligation toward the general public to update or correct forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, as a result of which actual events may diverge numerically from expectations. The forward-looking statements reflect the view at the time they were made.