BRIEFINGS · Chips and AI hardware
SCREEN Holdings raises its forecast, citing record inquiries and orders tied to AI spending
SCREEN Holdings, a chip-factory equipment maker in Japan, raised its yearly forecast, citing a record level of inquiry and order, despite a weak first quarter.
On 28 July 2026 SCREEN Holdings, a Japanese maker of chip-cleaning and other chip-factory equipment, reported first-quarter sales of 121.8 billion yen, down 10.3%, and operating income of 14.4 billion yen, down 41.1%. It still raised its forecast for the year ending March 2027 to net sales of 743 billion yen and operating income of 156.5 billion yen. It said spending on advanced chips and memory remains strong. On the call its chief executive said: "This is because the market is improving due to strong demand for high performance devices, particularly those for AI investments, and we are receiving a record number of inquiries and orders." (SCREEN financial report and the company's own call script, 28 July 2026).
Why we file it. A chip-equipment maker tied a higher forecast to record inquiries and orders that it links to AI spending.
How we read it. Demand is strong on the company's words. The first quarter was weak.
Why it matters to you: chip-factory orders show how much AI chip capacity is being built.
What this doesn't prove
Company forecasts: first-quarter sales and profit fell.
Next fixture
- Whether delayed projects are booked in the second quarter.
Sources
- Financial report for the first quarter ended 30 June 202628 July 2026
- First-quarter earnings call script28 July 2026
Every figure above comes from these sources. Every briefing is checked against its sources before it publishes. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and this is not investment advice. See the disclosures.
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