ACM Research Stock Soars 162% as One Fund's $78 Million Bet Signals Confidence in Chip Equipment Demand

Hong Kong-based Triata Capital disclosed a significant increase in its stake in ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR), adding 413,000 shares in the third quarter and seeing an estimated $37.20 million position change, according to a November 12 SEC filing.

What Happened

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated November 12, Triata Capital Ltd increased its position in ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR) by 413,000 shares during the third quarter. The post-trade total reached 2 million shares worth $78.39 million at quarter-end. The fund reported $856.81 million in total U.S. equity holdings and held 15 reportable positions as of September 30.

What Else to Know

This buy lifts ACM Research to 9.15% of Triata’s 13F AUM, ranking as its fourth-largest holding.

Top holdings after the quarter:

• NASDAQ: PDD: $336.30 million (39.25% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: VNET: $123.42 million (14.40% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: GDS: $93.19 million (10.88% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: ACMR: $78.39 million (9.15% of AUM)
• NYSE: BEKE: $38.29 million (4.47% of AUM)

As of Monday, ACMR shares were priced at $39.86, up a staggering 162% over the past year and well outperforming the S&P 500, which is instead up about 15.5%.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

• ACM Research develops and sells single-wafer wet cleaning equipment, electro-chemical plating systems, and related technologies for semiconductor manufacturing.
• The company generates revenue primarily through direct sales and third-party representatives under the Ultra C brand, targeting advanced wafer cleaning and plating solutions.
• It serves global semiconductor manufacturers seeking improved process yields and advanced node capabilities.

ACM Research is a technology company specializing in advanced cleaning and plating equipment for the semiconductor industry. The company leverages proprietary technologies to address the complex requirements of leading-edge chip fabrication, supporting customers worldwide in enhancing manufacturing efficiency and yield. Its competitive advantage lies in innovative solutions that enable precise wafer cleaning and plating for both 2D and 3D semiconductor devices.

Foolish Take

Adding aggressively amid a staggering stock run suggests conviction that the story is still early, as opposed to crowded. ACM Research sits in a very specific part of the semiconductor value chain where incremental process complexity drives outsized demand for specialized tools, even when headline chip spending cools.

The fundamentals back that up. In the third quarter, ACM grew revenue 32% year over year to $269 million, driven by strength in single-wafer cleaning, electrochemical plating, and advanced packaging. Gross margin fell to 42% from over 50% a year ago, but that decline reflects mix and expansion costs instead of demand erosion. Operating income still came in at nearly $29 million, and the company exited the quarter with over $1.1 billion in cash and deposits after its Shanghai subsidiary raised roughly $623 million on the STAR Market.

More broadly this fund’s top holdings skew heavily toward China-linked internet and infrastructure names, so positioning ACM as a top-five holding fits a broader bet on domestic semiconductor buildout rather than global consumer electronics cycles.

Glossary

Stake: The ownership interest or number of shares held by an investor in a company.

Assets Under Management (AUM): The total market value of investments managed by a fund or investment firm.

13F AUM: The portion of a fund’s assets reported in quarterly SEC filings, covering U.S. equity holdings.

Reportable positions: Investments that must be disclosed to regulators, typically due to size or regulatory requirements.

Alpha: A measure of an investment’s performance compared to a benchmark, showing excess return above the market.

Quarter-end: The last day of a fiscal quarter, often used as a reporting date for financial data.

TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Electro-chemical plating systems: Equipment that deposits metal layers onto semiconductor wafers using electrical and chemical processes.

Advanced node: A semiconductor manufacturing process using smaller, more modern technology for higher performance chips.

Process yields: The percentage of manufactured products that meet quality standards, indicating production efficiency.

Wafer cleaning: The process of removing contaminants from semiconductor wafers during chip manufacturing.

2D and 3D semiconductor devices: Chips made with traditional flat (2D) or stacked (3D) structures for improved performance and density.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.