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Veeco Instruments Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 9 lowered, 2 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue down from prior year: Net sales were $165.9 million against $184.8 million a year earlier. Nine-month net sales were $499.3 million, against $535.2 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share lower: Non-GAAP net income was $21.8 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, against $28.3 million, or $0.46. Non-GAAP operating income was $23.1 million, against $31.0 million. Source
  • AI and HPC drove demand: Management attributed the quarter’s results to continued momentum in the semiconductor market, driven by AI and High-Performance Computing. Source
  • MOCVD orders won for new systems: Management said it has won multiple orders for 300mm Gallium Nitride single wafer and Arsenide Phosphide batch MOCVD systems, which it described as new product traction. Source
  • Gross margin declined from prior year: GAAP gross margin was 40.8% and non-GAAP 41.9%, against 42.9% and 43.8% a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and equivalents rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $193.2 million at September 30, 2025, against $145.6 million at December 31, 2024. Short-term investments were $176.1 million, against $198.7 million. Source
  • Pending merger with Axcelis: The merger between Axcelis Technologies and Veeco is pending; the release describes it as a proposed transaction and gives no closing date. Source

“We are also excited about new product traction in our MOCVD business.”

Bill Miller, Ph.D., Veeco’s Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$155 million to $175 millionRaised from $150 million to $170 million
GAAP diluted earnings per share Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025($0.07) to $0.05Lowered from $0.04 to $0.22
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$0.16 to $0.32Lowered from $0.20 to $0.35
Gross margin Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025GAAP 36% to 38%; non-GAAP 37% to 39%Lowered from GAAP 39% to 41%; non-GAAP 40% to 42%
Gross profit (GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$57 million to $68 millionLowered from $59 million to $70 million
Operating expenses (GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$62 million to $64 millionRaised from $57 million to $58 million
Operating income (GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$(5) million to $4 millionLowered from $2 million to $12 million
Operating income (non-GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$11 million to $22 millionLowered from $13 million to $24 million
Net income (GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$(4) million to $3 millionLowered from $3 million to $13 million
Net income (non-GAAP) Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$10 million to $19 millionLowered from $12 million to $21 million
Share-based compensation Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$9 millionLowered from $10 million
Amortization Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$1 millionKept
Merger-related expense Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$6 million to $8 millionNew
Interest income Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$1 millionNew
Income tax expense Sourcethree months ending December 31, 2025$0 million to $2 millionRaised from $(1) million to $1 million
Diluted weighted average shares Sourcethree months ending December 31, 202560 million GAAP; 62 million non-GAAPRaised from 60 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fourth-quarter revenue range is higher than the third-quarter range given in the second-quarter release. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Fourth-quarter per-share ranges are below the third-quarter ranges given in the second-quarter release. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Fourth-quarter gross margin range is below the third-quarter range given in the second-quarter release. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Fourth-quarter operating income and net income ranges are below the third-quarter ranges given in the second-quarter release. Source
  • New guidance: Merger-related expense appears in fourth-quarter guidance; the prior guidance table had no such line. Source
  • New: Pending merger with Axcelis Technologies, which the second-quarter release did not mention. Source
  • New: Multiple orders won for 300mm Gallium Nitride single wafer and Arsenide Phosphide batch MOCVD systems. Source

Third quarter results

  • Revenue down from prior year: Net sales were $165.9 million against $184.8 million a year earlier. Nine-month net sales were $499.3 million, against $535.2 million. Source
  • GAAP earnings per share lower: GAAP net income was $10.6 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, against $22.0 million, or $0.36. Nine-month diluted EPS was $0.57, against $0.97. Source
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share lower: Non-GAAP net income was $21.8 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, against $28.3 million, or $0.46. Non-GAAP operating income was $23.1 million, against $31.0 million. Source
  • Operating income and interest income: GAAP operating income was $10.6 million against $24.3 million. Interest income was $1.3 million against $0.3 million, a year-over-year rise. Source

Demand and product wins

  • AI and HPC drove demand: Management attributed the quarter’s results to continued momentum in the semiconductor market, driven by AI and High-Performance Computing. Source
  • MOCVD orders won for new systems: Management said it has won multiple orders for 300mm Gallium Nitride single wafer and Arsenide Phosphide batch MOCVD systems, which it described as new product traction. Source
  • Prior quarter shipments named as drivers: The second-quarter release tied results to shipments of wet processing and lithography systems for Advanced Packaging, and Ion Beam Deposition systems for EUV mask blanks.
  • Technology lines named in company profile: The company describes its technologies as laser annealing, ion beam, MOCVD, single wafer etch and clean, and lithography, serving advanced semiconductor fabrication and packaging. Source

“Additionally, the pending merger with Axcelis marks a significant step to expand our technology and market opportunities to better serve our customers.”

Bill Miller, Ph.D., Veeco’s Chief Executive Officer

Operating expenses

  • R&D spending declined year over year: Research and development was $29.0 million against $32.2 million. Nine-month R&D was $89.1 million, against $93.6 million. Source
  • SG&A rose year over year: Selling, general, and administrative expense was $27.3 million against $25.3 million, and $76.2 million for nine months against $74.6 million. Source
  • Other operating income not repeated: Amortization of intangibles was $0.8 million against $1.7 million. The prior-year quarter had other operating income of $4.3 million; this year’s other operating expense was $0.1 million. Source

Gross margin

  • Gross margin declined from prior year: GAAP gross margin was 40.8% and non-GAAP 41.9%, against 42.9% and 43.8% a year earlier. Source
  • Gross profit and cost of sales lower: GAAP gross profit was $67.7 million against $79.2 million, while cost of sales was $98.2 million against $105.6 million. Source
  • Margin below second-quarter rate: The second-quarter release reported 41.4% GAAP and 42.6% non-GAAP gross margin, so the third-quarter rates were lower.

Balance sheet and cash

  • Cash and equivalents rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $193.2 million at September 30, 2025, against $145.6 million at December 31, 2024. Short-term investments were $176.1 million, against $198.7 million. Source
  • Receivables and inventories increased: Accounts receivable were $116.5 million against $96.8 million at year-end, and inventories were $263.3 million against $246.7 million. Source
  • Debt balance reduced: Long-term debt was $225.7 million against $249.7 million. The current portion of debt was nil, against $26.5 million at year-end. Source
  • Stockholders’ equity increased: Total stockholders’ equity was $876.0 million against $770.8 million at year-end; total assets were $1.29 billion. Source

Share count and dilution

  • Diluted share count lower: Third-quarter diluted weighted average shares were 60.95 million, against 62.65 million a year earlier. The nine-month figure was 60.44 million, against 62.10 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP shares reflect capped call: The non-GAAP share count applies the capped call to the 2027 notes, using an $18.46 effective conversion price; the GAAP count uses $13.98. Source
  • Dilutive share awards added: Dilutive share-based awards added 0.87 million shares to the third-quarter diluted count. Source

Axcelis merger

  • Pending merger with Axcelis: The merger between Axcelis Technologies and Veeco is pending; the release describes it as a proposed transaction and gives no closing date. Source
  • Merger expenses excluded from non-GAAP: Merger-related expenses of $2.6 million were excluded from third-quarter non-GAAP results, alongside $54,000 of other non-GAAP items. Source
  • Special stockholder meetings planned: Each company plans a special stockholder meeting to approve the proposed transaction, with a joint proxy statement/prospectus to be distributed to stockholders. Source

Management and communications

  • CEO commentary on product and merger: Bill Miller, Ph.D., Veeco’s Chief Executive Officer, cited MOCVD product traction and the pending Axcelis merger in the release. Source
  • Investor relations contact changed: The investor relations contact is Alex Delacroix; the second-quarter release listed Anthony Pappone for investors. Source
  • Management looks forward to combination: Management said it is looking forward to delivering on the strategic combination with Axcelis. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2025

  • Axcelis Form S-4 filing planned: Axcelis intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-4 containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus, to be mailed to stockholders when available. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.