Aixtron orders jump 122% to €274.9 million on AI data-center communications equipment
Key Facts
Aixtron said on October 29 that new orders reached €274.9 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 122% year on year from €124.0 million in the same period of 2025. The company attributed the order momentum to equipment used in laser applications for AI data-center communications. It said the expansion of these networks remains “the main structural driver for high-speed optical connections.” The figures reflect strong order growth alongside higher quarterly revenue, while the total for the first nine months of the year remained slightly below its level a year earlier. The company reported its third-quarter results in a statement issued on October 29, alongside an invitation to investors and analysts to join a conference call the same day.
Third-quarter revenue was €183.6 million, up 54% from €119.6 million a year earlier, and within the quarterly guidance range of €180 million ±€20 million. By contrast, revenue in the first nine months was €358.1 million, down 3% from €369.5 million in the same period of 2025. New orders in the first nine months totaled €660.9 million, up 76% from €374.7 million a year earlier. The comparison shows that the third-quarter revenue improvement followed a slight decline in revenue for the year-to-date period. Orders, meanwhile, had clearly exceeded their prior-year level over the nine months, with the increase accelerating in the third quarter.
Equipment orders in the third quarter were concentrated in optoelectronics, which accounted for about 68% of the total, followed by power electronics at 24%. This mix ties most of the demand to equipment for laser applications used in data-center communications. The company singled out high-speed optical connections, saying the expansion of AI data-center networks supports this trend. This comes as the period’s data show orders rising faster than quarterly revenue, with the company leaving its annual revenue guidance unchanged. It also said improved customer utilization of equipment and renewed order activity point to a recovery in GaN- and SiC-based power electronics.
Revenue and order growth were reflected in quarterly profitability: gross profit rose 88% to €87.3 million from €46.4 million a year earlier. The gross margin increased to 48% from 39%. Earnings before interest and taxes reached €56.7 million, compared with €15.4 million in the third quarter of 2025, while the margin rose to 31% from 13%. Aixtron maintained its 2026 revenue forecast at €560 million ±€30 million, with a gross margin of about 42% and an EBIT margin of 17% to 20%. In its subsequent guidance, the company said it expects a strong year of growth in 2027 led by optoelectronics, while improved customer utilization and renewed demand support its outlook for a recovery in power electronics.