Teradyne's Q1 2025: Navigating Contradictions in Tariffs, Growth, and Market Dynamics

Earnings DecryptTuesday, May 13, 2025 3:01 pm ET
2min read
Tariff impact and market dynamics, growth expectations for semiconductor test, robotics business restructuring and growth expectations, AI and Compute market opportunities, and mobile test market dynamics are the key contradictions discussed in Teradyne's latest 2025Q1 earnings call.



Revenue and Profitability Performance:
- reported first quarter revenue of $686 million, towards the high end of their guidance range.
- Non-GAAP earnings per share exceeded expectations, coming in at $0.75, above the high-end guidance of $0.68.
- The strong performance was driven by the Semi Test and Compute segments, specifically SOC for mobile end market and record loading on UltraFLEX testers for AI accelerators.

Semi Test and Compute Segment Trends:
- SOC revenue contributed significantly to the first quarter results with $406 million, driven by mobile demand due to supply chain transitions at customers.
- Compute revenue grew year-over-year in Q1, with record loading on UltraFLEX and UltraFLEXplus testers for AI accelerators.
- The demand in the mobile segment is transitory and related to supply chain transitions rather than a signal of end market recovery.

Memory Demand and Product Mix:
- Memory revenue was $109 million, lower than previous quarters as customers digest HBM test equipment from the previous year.
- DRAM continues to dominate the memory mix, impacting the overall revenue trends.
- Teradyne secured a significant HBM4 performance test win with a major DRAM manufacturer, expected to start shipping in the second half of the year.

tariff-related Uncertainty and Impact:
- The company anticipates minimal direct impact from 90-day tariffs but is more concerned about the impact of tariffs on end market demand.
- Customers, primarily in mobile, automotive, and industrial segments, are reviewing their capital acquisition plans, causing uncertainty in order forecasts.
- Teradyne is managing expenses prudently due to these uncertainties and tariff impacts.