1. AEM Holdings Ltd. booked a net profit of S$30.8 million for the six months ended Jun 30, 2026, a surge of 876 per cent year-on-year, lifted by robust demand for its semiconductor test solutions for advanced AI and high-performance computing (HPC) devices.

2. Earnings per share rose to 9.79 Singapore cents from 0.98 cents a year earlier. The board declared a tax-exempt, one-tier interim dividend of 2.4 Singapore cents per share, to be paid on 8 Sep 2026 to shareholders on record as at 20 Aug 2026. No interim dividend was distributed in the prior-year period.

3. Group revenue climbed 30 per cent YoY to S$247.2 million. Test Cell Solutions (TCS) led growth with revenue up 52.5 per cent to S$180.9 million, contributing 73 per cent of the total and generating S$37.7 million in pre-tax earnings. Contract Manufacturing (CM) posted S$63.2 million in external sales, down 5.7 per cent YoY, but delivered S$5.7 million in segment profit, supported by higher inter-segment sales to TCS. Instrumentation (INS) registered a pre-tax loss of S$0.5 million, while the Others segment booked a S$5.1 million loss. Group gross margin improved to 33.1 per cent from 25.4 per cent, reflecting a richer sales mix and higher utilisation at the CM unit.

4. Cost pressures persisted. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 29 per cent to S$33.0 million on increased legal, IT and professional fees, while R&D spending was stable at S$12.9 million. The INS segment remained loss-making, and softer external demand from oil-and-gas customers curbed CM’s third-party revenue. Inventory rose 17 per cent to S$265.5 million as the group prepared for anticipated second-half shipments.

5. Looking ahead, AEM has raised its full-year 2026 revenue forecast to S$630 million–S$680 million and now expects earnings per share of 24.5–27.5 cents. The uplift is predicated on continued momentum from a major fabless AI/HPC customer and adoption of the AMPS platform by a PC/foundry client. Recent strategic actions include an S$11.9 million private placement to Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Test, earmarked for expanding operations in Taiwan and accelerating joint go-to-market initiatives, and lifting its stake in South Korea’s Nestek to 80 per cent to strengthen its thermal management capabilities.