Advantest Sales Jump 60.5% to 845.2 Billion Yen in Fiscal First Half

Key Facts

Advantest generated sales of 845.2 billion yen in the six months ended Sept. 30, 2026, up 60.5% year over year, according to the company’s fiscal first-half results. Operating income rose 96.5% to 456.8 billion yen, while net income increased 116.8% to 368.1 billion yen from 169.8 billion yen in the year-earlier period. The company said sales, operating income, pretax income and net income all reached records for a six-month period. Pretax income was 510.2 billion yen, up 121.3% year over year. Advantest attributed the strong results to sales growth and an improved sales mix, as well as the yen’s decline against the dollar. The results put the semiconductor test-equipment supplier at the center of a spending wave tied to the expansion of AI applications.

Much of the growth came from chip-testing systems, with sales in the segment rising 61.2% to 770.2 billion yen in the first half. Advantest said sales of system-on-chip test systems increased as production volumes rose and AI-related chips grew more complex. It also pointed to continued active customer investment in test equipment, alongside increased production of high-performance chips and the adoption of advanced packaging. Sales growth included system-on-chip, dynamic random-access memory and nonvolatile memory testers. The company said demand for key components, including memory chips, continued to exceed supply as AI investment expanded. This reflects broader demand for test equipment alongside rising chip production and design complexity.

Currency also contributed to performance, with the dollar averaging 160 yen during the six months, compared with 146 yen in the year-earlier period. Advantest said the weaker yen supported its results, alongside sales growth and an improved sales mix. For pretax income, the company reported financial income of about 57.0 billion yen, most of which it attributed to gains from investment valuations. Earnings growth therefore reflected not only increased operating activity; financial income also supported the pretax result. In the first quarter ended June 30, 2026, sales were 367.5 billion yen, up 39.3%, and operating income was 190.0 billion yen, up 53.3% year over year. The comparison shows first-quarter growth preceding the stronger first-half results, which also included the following quarter.

The company raised its forecast for fiscal 2026, which ends March 31, 2027, to sales of 1,863.0 billion yen from 1,714.0 billion yen in its July estimate. It also raised its operating income forecast to 967.0 billion yen from 846.0 billion yen. It forecast pretax income of 1,021.5 billion yen, an expected annual increase of 97.7%, and net income of 741.5 billion yen, an expected increase of 97.5%. The company tied its market outlook to expectations for strong year-over-year growth in the semiconductor market in 2026, driven by high-performance chips for AI applications and expanding related investment. The higher forecast comes as customers continue to seek test equipment, while the company said demand for some components, including memory, still exceeds supply. The semiannual report is scheduled to be filed on Nov. 13, 2026, with the dividend to be paid on Dec. 1, 2026.

In the market, Advantest’s American depositary receipt closed at $241.57 on Oct. 28, 2026, compared with $224.52 in the previous session, according to EL7 data. The company raised its interim dividend for fiscal 2026 to 49 yen per share, from 29 yen in the previous fiscal year. These steps follow record first-half results and higher estimates for revenue and operating income for the rest of the fiscal year. The filing and dividend payment dates give shareholders two upcoming milestones after the results announcement. The company also kept its outlook tied to semiconductor-market growth and spending on AI applications during 2026.