April 15 (Reuters) - German chip systems manufacturer Aixtron raised its revenue guidance for 2026 on Tuesday, propelled by strong demand for optoelectronics equipment, which sent its shares to an over two-year high on Wednesday.
Aixtron expects annual revenue of around 560 million euros ($660 million), plus or minus 30 million euros, having previously forecast it at 520 million euros with the same range of potential variation.
"The significantly stronger-than-expected demand from the optoelectronics sector in the first quarter is a very encouraging development," CEO Felix Grawert said in a statement, adding the company expected this trend to continue.
Aixtron's shares, which have gained nearly 130% so far in 2026, rose 13% and were leading gains on Europe's benchmark Stoxx 600 index in early trading.
Analysts from J.P. Morgan highlighted strong quarterly orders on the back of the positive momentum in optoelectronics--a semiconductor technology used in light-related applications like LEDs, lasers and solar cells.
"Given upgrades to near-term estimates and clearly positive order commentary, we expect to see Aixtron shares to outperform in response," the analysts said in a note to investors.
Aixtron's order intake grew 30% from a year ago to around 171 million euros in the first quarter.
The world's largest supplier of chipmaking tools, ASML, also reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and lifted its full-year outlook on Wednesday, as artificial intelligence boosts demand for its equipment.
($1 = 0.8480 euros)
(Reporting by Ozan Ergenay in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
By Ozan Ergenay
