<p><strong>Himax Technologies, Inc</strong>. (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.</p>



<h2>Strong First-Quarter Earnings Beat</h2>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



<h2>Display Driver Business Performance</h2>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<h2>Margins, Expenses And Cash Position</h2>



<p>Operating expenses increased 9.9% year over year to $50.3 million.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<h2>CEO Highlights Automotive And AI Growth Opportunities</h2>



<p>Chief Executive Officer<strong> Jordan Wu </strong>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<h2>Second-Quarter Outlook Tops Expectations</h2>



<p>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.</p>



<h2>Himax Stock Hits New 52-Week High</h2>



<p><strong>HIMX Price Action:</strong> 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.</p>



<p><em>Photo via Shutterstock</em></p>

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<p>Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) reported Q1 earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations, with revenue of $199 million and earnings of 4.6 cents per share. The company forecasts Q2 revenue between $236.3 million and $242.7 million, surpassing analyst estimates. CEO Jordan Wu highlighted growth in AI and automotive sectors, with HIMX stock rising 28.14% to a new 52-week high of $15.80.</p>

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