NICHE-TECH SEMI (Niche-Tech Semiconductor Materials Limited) released unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2026.
Financial Performance • Revenue fell 16.00% year-on-year to HK$64.54 million, driven by lower bonding-wire sales. • Gross profit slipped 14.70% to HK$9.00 million; gross margin held broadly steady at 13.94% (1H 2025: 13.73%). • Loss attributable to owners narrowed to HK$11.24 million from HK$30.46 million a year earlier, helped by the absence of last year’s HK$18.82 million intangible-asset impairment. • EBITDA improved modestly to HK$2.80 million (1H 2025: HK$2.50 million). • Basic loss per share decreased to HK1.59 cents (1H 2025: HK4.32 cents). • No interim dividend was declared.
Segment Highlights • Bonding wire revenue contracted 25.2% to HK$36.32 million, reflecting volume reduction and pricing pressure; shipment volume dropped 47.7% to about 186,467 km and segment gross margin eased to 11.26%. • Encapsulant revenue remained stable at HK$24.94 million; shipment volume declined 9.5% to roughly 181 tonnes, but segment gross margin rose to 16.9% due to product-mix optimisation and cost control. • “Others” contributed HK$3.29 million (1H 2025: HK$3.43 million).
Cost Structure and Expenses • Cost of sales decreased 16.22% to HK$55.54 million, in line with lower revenue. • Selling & distribution expenses were HK$4.17 million; administrative expenses fell 7.02% to HK$13.32 million following cost-saving measures. • Finance costs declined to HK$2.34 million (1H 2025: HK$2.96 million).
Balance Sheet and Liquidity • Total assets stood at HK$263.23 million; net assets were HK$136.07 million. • Net current assets were HK$25.26 million, with a current ratio of 1.2. • Cash generated from operations reached HK$12.59 million; period-end cash and cash equivalents were negative HK$10.58 million, reflecting a HK$17.89 million bank overdraft. • Interest-bearing bank borrowings totalled HK$67.78 million, all classified as current. Gearing ratio rose to 63.0% from 54.4% at year-end 2025.
Debt Covenant Breach • Borrowings of HK$42.70 million were in default and immediately repayable due to covenant breaches. The company is engaging lenders and an independent debt advisor on restructuring; no legal proceedings had been initiated up to the reporting date.
Capital Expenditure and Commitments • HK$0.07 million was spent on plant and equipment during the period. Capital commitments stood at HK$0.22 million.
Outlook and Strategy Management intends to intensify R&D in advanced packaging materials, prioritise higher-margin products, pursue domestic-substitution opportunities in China’s semiconductor supply chain, and explore refinancing options while continuing cost-containment initiatives.
Board Changes Executive Director Mr. Shi Yiwu and Non-executive Director Mr. Li Chiu Fan retired at the 1 June 2026 AGM.