French semiconductor materials producer Soitec SA said its shares surged as much as 15.1% on Thursday after the company upgraded its second-quarter revenue outlook, citing accelerating demand for photonics-specific silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.
The company now expects second-quarter revenue to grow around 50% year-on-year at constant currency and scope, up from its prior forecast of more than 30%. The upward revision follows strong bookings tied to photonics applications, Soitec stated.
Photonics-SOI revenue is projected to reach around three times the second-quarter 2026 level, which stood at approximately $25 million. For the first half of fiscal 2027, photonics-SOI revenue is expected to be about 2.3 times the first-half fiscal 2026 figure of roughly $50 million. Full fiscal 2027 photonics-SOI revenue is anticipated to land between 2.5 and 3 times the fiscal 2026 level, which was slightly above $100 million.
Soitec also highlighted ongoing expansion in capacity reservation agreements with key customers. The company expects to finalize agreements with eight of roughly 10 major photonics-SOI customers within the coming weeks, reinforcing long-term demand visibility.
The company reported fiscal 2025-2026 sales of about €600 million, with target markets spanning mobile communications, automotive and industrial segments, and edge and cloud AI infrastructure. Soitec employs nearly 2,000 people across operations in Europe, the United States, and Asia.
