This Tiny AI Chipmaker Just Delivered A Huge Surprise To Wall Street

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) stock rose in premarket trading Thursday after the semiconductor company reported first-quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations and issued stronger-than-expected second-quarter guidance.

Strong First-Quarter Earnings Beat

The Taiwan-based chipmaker posted first-quarter revenue of $199 million, down 7.5% from a year earlier but ahead of analyst estimates of $195 million. Revenue declined 2% sequentially.

Earnings were 4.6 cents per American depositary share, beating analysts' estimates of 3 cents per share.

Gross margin was 30.4%, at the high end of the company's guidance range and roughly flat compared with the prior quarter.

Display Driver Business Performance

Revenue from large display drivers increased 11.7% from the previous quarter to $24.2 million, helped by stronger-than-expected restocking of high-end television integrated circuits by a major panel maker.

Small- and medium-sized display driver revenue fell 2.4% sequentially to $135.8 million during what the company described as a typical seasonal slowdown.

Non-driver revenue declined 7.7% quarter over quarter to $39 million, reflecting lower ASIC timing controller shipments to a major projector customer and softer automotive timing controller shipments.

Margins, Expenses And Cash Position

Operating expenses increased 9.9% year over year to $50.3 million.

Operating income fell to $10.2 million from $19.8 million a year earlier, while operating margin narrowed to 5.1% from 9.2%.

Inventory stood at $151.7 million as of March 31, compared with $152.7 million in the prior quarter and $129.9 million a year earlier.

Himax held $287.6 million in cash, cash equivalents and other financial assets at the end of the quarter. Operating cash flow totaled $4 million, down from $56.1 million in the year-ago period.

CEO Highlights Automotive And AI Growth Opportunities

Chief Executive Officer Jordan Wu said the company expects positive momentum to continue through the remainder of 2026, supported by new automotive projects entering mass production in the second half of the year.

Wu also said Himax expects continued growth in its non-driver integrated circuit businesses, including timing controllers and WiseEye AI products. He said the company is expanding beyond its traditional display integrated circuit operations into smart glasses, ultra-low-power artificial intelligence and co-packaged optics technologies.

Second-Quarter Outlook Tops Expectations

For the second quarter, Himax forecast revenue of $236.3 million to $242.7 million, above analysts' estimates of $209 million. The company projected earnings of 8.6 cents to 10.3 cents per ADS, compared with analyst expectations of 6 cents per share.

Himax Stock Hits New 52-Week High

HIMX Price Action: Himax Techs shares were up 28.14% at $15.80 at the time of publication on Thursday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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