Resonac Raises Mid-Year Profit Outlook, Driven by Robust Demand for AI Semiconductor Materials

レゾナック Japan

Overview

Resonac announced a significant upward revision to its consolidated net profit forecast for the first half of 2026, from 20 billion JPY to 38 billion JPY, driven by strong performance in its AI semiconductor materials business. This represents a substantial 93% year-on-year increase, underscoring the market’s high valuation of Resonac’s material solutions in High-Performance Computing (HPC) and advanced packaging. The company aims for further business expansion amidst the rapid growth of the AI semiconductor market.

In Depth

Background and Rapid Growth of the AI Semiconductor Market

The global demand for AI semiconductors has exploded in recent years, propelled by the proliferation of generative AI and the evolution of large language models (LLMs). High-Performance Computing (HPC) processors, exemplified by NVIDIA’s GPUs, require immense computational power, and the underlying semiconductor chips necessitate cutting-edge materials that enable high performance, high density, and superior thermal management. As a key supplier of material solutions for these advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, Resonac is significantly influenced by shifts in market demand.

Key Developments and Resonac’s Upward Performance Revision

On May 13, 2026, Resonac announced an upward revision to its consolidated financial forecast for the first half of 2026 (January to June). Specifically, the company increased its consolidated net profit forecast by 18 billion JPY, from the previous estimate of 20 billion JPY to 38 billion JPY. This revised figure is expected to represent a substantial 93% year-on-year increase.

The primary factors contributing to this upward revision are:

• Strong Performance in AI Semiconductor Materials Business: Demand for advanced packaging materials (e.g., polishing slurries, encapsulation materials, die-attach films, thermal management materials) used in AI semiconductors and HPC devices significantly exceeded initial expectations and continued to be robust. Resonac holds strong technological capabilities and market share in these areas, benefiting maximally from the expanding AI semiconductor market.
• Improved Profitability: In addition to the increased sales volume of advanced materials, optimization of the product mix and successful cost-efficiency initiatives also contributed to an overall improvement in profitability.

This revised outlook clearly indicates that the flourishing AI market is providing a strong tailwind for the company’s semiconductor materials business.

Impact and Future Outlook

Resonac’s upward revision in performance suggests that the AI semiconductor market is not merely a temporary boom but rather a long-term growth trend. The company’s material technologies are foundational to enhancing the performance and ensuring the high reliability of AI semiconductors, and the recent strong results validate the soundness of its strategic positioning. Moving forward, Resonac is expected to further strengthen its investments in advanced material development for AI semiconductors, aiming to establish next-generation technological standards through collaboration with customers. The evolution of advanced packaging technologies such as chiplets, 3D stacking, and HBM will bring additional growth opportunities for the company’s material solutions. As the global AI market is projected for exponential expansion, Resonac is anticipated to support this growth through innovative materials and contribute to the overall development of the semiconductor industry. Concurrently, building resilient supply chains to address geopolitical risks and supply chain fluctuations will remain a critical management priority.