Key semicap equipment supplier for process control; benefits from node complexity and inspection demand.
"We have been invested in our old friends Applied Materials (AMAT), Onto Innovation (ONTO US) and KLA Corp (KLAC) since October, and each has done spectacularly."
TLDR
Citrini Research discusses the semiconductor supply chain, focusing on memory supercycle beneficiaries, semicap subsystems, silicon photonics, and legacy memory squeeze. They detail their current long positions in semicap equipment (AMAT, ONTO, KLAC), memory testing (FORM, TER), deposition (ASM NA, 6525 JP), and foundry (UMC, GFS). The article also highlights watchlist ideas including Nvidia, Cohu, Powertech, ASMPT, and PDF Solutions, but does not disclose active trades in those.
• Memory supercycle driven by AI demand, with HBM content per GPU rising and long-context inference boosting memory/storage across the stack.
• Memory testing is a critical bottleneck; HBM requires rigorous testing at every layer, benefiting companies like FormFactor and Teradyne.
• Hybrid bonding transition (HBM4E) creates opportunity for BESI and others, with Samsung confirming adoption.
• Semicap subsystems (picks and shovels for the picks and shovels) are underfollowed and have asymmetric upside relative to OEMs.
• Silicon photonics is a necessary solution for AI data center bandwidth constraints; GlobalFoundries and UMC are positioned.
• Legacy memory squeeze (DDR4, DDR3, NOR) due to capacity shifts to HBM; Nanya, Winbond, ESMT, Macronix benefit.
• Cybersecurity names like Crowdstrike, Rubrik, Cloudflare are oversold in the SaaS selloff due to AI agentic threats, not disintermediation.
• Nvidia is underowned and set up for an earnings surprise; watchlist for opportunistic options.
January 26, 2026 at 13:23