• Posted by: Technology Staff Editor
• On: 05/19/2008 10:07:40
• In: Information Technology

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Two more chip-equipment vendors--Brooks and ESI--are separately seeing a slowdown.

Fab-tool automation vendor Brooks Automation Inc. recently said revenues for the second quarter of 2008 were $147.6 million, compared to revenues of $194.9 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of 24.3 percent. Sequentially, revenues were essentially flat from fiscal 2008 first quarter revenues of $147.8 million.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2008 totaled $8.3 million or $0.13 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $107.8 million or $1.43 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2007, which included income from discontinued operations of $92.0 million or $1.22 per diluted share.

In providing guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 ending on June 30, Brooks expects revenues could be in the range of $125 million to $140 million with a net loss between $0.12 per share and breakeven. The guidance for loss per share does not include restructuring costs that are likely to be incurred during the quarter.

Robert J. Lepofsky, president and CEO of Brooks, painted a mixed picture. ''Our results for the quarter were in the middle of the range of guidance provided earlier but are still below the level of performance we are aiming to achieve in the short term,'' he said in a statement.

(Editors note: In a previous article, it was erroneously reported that Brooks had a 15 percent layoff. Brooks had a 5 percent layoff earlier this year.)

Meanwhile, during the quarter, Electro Scientific Industries Inc. (ESI) began to take actions to reduce its cost structure, including undisclosed reductions of headcount, consolidation of facilities, and acceleration of offshore manufacturing to increase unit production in Asia.

ESI also recently said fourth quarter sales were $70.6 million, representing a 9 percent decrease from the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Net income for the quarter was $3.0 million or $0.11 per diluted share.

''Although fiscal 2008 was another strong period for ESI, we began to see the impact of weakness in the memory market and lower capital spending in the fourth quarter,'' noted Nick Konidaris, president and CEO, in a statement.