After spending much of the past six months at a less-than-commanding two-star rank, Veeco Instruments
Veeco was firing on all cylinders in the second quarter. All of its businesses saw improvements, helping the company achieve record quarterly revenue and earnings per share. To further focus its efforts on the popular light-emitting diode business, Veeco recently sold off its metrology business to scientific-instrument maker Bruker -- a move that has CAPS members abuzz about the possibilities.
According to research firm IMS Research, the metal organic chemical vapor deposition market is one of the fastest-growing categories in semiconductor manufacturing. IMS forecasts that LED capacity needs to rise by more than 350% through 2014 to keep up with demand. Veeco's second-quarter results jibe nicely with that outlook; the company quadrupled its MOCVD system shipments, and it expects that strong demand to continue.
Peers in this segment are showing a similar trend as well. Larger and pricier competitor Aixtron
While LEDs steal the limelight, some CAPS members also like the promise of Veeco's data-storage segment, which saw sales more than double in the quarter. Despite the recent competitive pressures on customer Seagate Technology
Do you think Veeco deserves its elevated status? Add your thoughts in the comments box below on this page, or head over to CAPS to rate the company and check out all the information and opinions the community offers, absolutely free.