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Tower Semiconductor Q1 profit jumps as silicon photonics scales
Tower Semiconductor Q1 profit jumps as silicon photonics scales

Tower Semiconductor Q1 profit jumps as silicon photonics scales

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Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TSEM) reported a robust start to fiscal year 2026, delivering a double-digit revenue increase and nearly doubling its operating profit as demand for AI data center infrastructure accelerates.

The company posted first-quarter revenue of $414 million, representing a 15% year-over-year increase.

Profitability metrics saw an even sharper rise, with operating profit climbing to $65 million compared to $33 million in the same period last year, and net profit reaching $65 million, or $0.58 per basic share.

The quarter was defined by the rapid commercial scaling of Tower’s silicon photonics (SiPho) platform.

The company reported receiving $290 million in silicon photonics prepayments from customers, a move that provides significant multi-year demand visibility and underscores the industry's rush to secure capacity for high-speed optical transceivers.

This influx of cash helped drive net cash from operating activities to $509.9 million (or $225 million when excluding customer prepayments), while the company reinvested $156 million in capital expenditures to expand its 300mm capacity.

Looking ahead, Tower issued an optimistic forecast that suggests its seasonal trough is firmly in the rearview mirror.

The company guided second-quarter 2026 revenue to a company-record $455 million (±5%), which would represent 22% year-over-year growth.

Management indicated that it targets sequential increases in both revenue and profitability throughout the remainder of 2026, supported by a contracted SiPho backlog that already exceeds $1.3 billion for 2027.

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