[Market Focus] Growth Expected in Semiconductor Production Equipment... Hanwha Vision Surges

Shares of Hanwha Vision, a key supplier of essential equipment for semiconductor manufacturing processes and a company expected to see significant growth, are showing strong performance.

As of 10:17 a.m. on January 30, Hanwha Vision was trading at 63,700 won, up 8,300 won (14.98%) from the previous trading day.

On this day, Kiwoom Securities initiated coverage on Hanwha Vision, calling it the "top pick among semiconductor equipment stocks," assigning a "Buy" rating and a target price of 80,000 won. The firm cited expectations that Hanwha Vision's performance will surge this year, as it is supplying TC Bonders, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production equipment, to SK hynix in large quantities.

The company is expected to post sales of approximately 2 trillion won this year, up 13% year-on-year, and operating profit of 245.1 billion won, a 47% increase. Analyst Park stated, "Hanwha Semitec, a subsidiary that recorded a total operating loss of about 110 billion won over the past three years, is expected to turn profitable this year with 51.7 billion won in operating profit." He added, "Key factors include the expansion of TC Bonder supply to SK hynix and robust results in surface mount technology (SMT)."

In the mid- to long-term, the supply of hybrid bonding (HCB) equipment is cited as a momentum driver. Analyst Park noted, "The HCB process can expand to NAND, foundry, and HBM sectors," adding, "Hanwha Vision is expected to emerge as a key supplier to both Samsung Electronics and SK hynix."