Comet sales jump as semiconductor demand recovers

Revenue surged 51.9% to CHF 155.6 million at Fribourg-based Comet in the third quarter, as a recovery in semiconductor demand lifted sales at the Swiss technology group. The result covers June through the end of September and compares with the same period in 2025.

Orders rose even faster, increasing 170% to CHF 275.6 million. Comet said the sharp rise in sales confirmed momentum from the first half of the year. For the first nine months, revenue reached CHF 395.5 million, up 20% year on year, or 24.3% when adjusted for currency movements.

The company makes equipment and components using X-ray and radio-frequency technologies. Its quarterly results showed a clear difference between divisions: Plasma Control Technologies drove the increase, Industrial X-Ray Modules also expanded, while X-Ray Systems recorded slightly lower revenue than in an exceptionally strong third quarter a year earlier. The figures put the semiconductor recovery at the centre of Comet’s latest performance, while the order total offers a measure of customer demand heading into the coming quarters.

Plasma Control Technologies was the main engine of the quarter. Comet said demand for established products remained high as customers in the semiconductor sector increased orders. The division’s Synertia high-frequency platform also continued to gain popularity, according to the company.

The result highlights the importance of Comet’s specialised equipment in chip production. Its Plasma Control Technologies business supplies technology based on radio frequencies, a field in which the company says established products and newer platforms both contributed to the quarter’s performance. Comet did not attribute the increase to a single product: it pointed to sustained demand across its established range alongside growing interest in Synertia.

For the Fribourg-based group, the division’s strength helped translate a recovering chip market into a sharp increase in sales. Comet said the performance supported the growth momentum seen in the first half of 2026. The company’s figures do not break out the division’s revenue, but its statement clearly identifies PCT as the driver of the quarterly advance. The combination of ongoing demand for existing products and increased traction for Synertia gives the semiconductor-focused business two sources of support within the period.

Industrial X-Ray Modules also posted significant revenue growth, extending the quarter’s gains beyond Comet’s semiconductor-focused division. The company linked the performance to its position in aerospace, security and defence markets, as well as the expansion of its product portfolio into faster-growing areas including semiconductors and batteries.

The division’s results show how Comet’s industrial X-ray business serves several end markets. Its newer products are reaching semiconductor and battery customers, while established activity in aerospace, security and defence contributed to the quarter. Comet did not provide separate figures for those markets, but it identified them as factors behind IXM’s growth.

X-Ray Systems moved in the opposite direction: revenue was slightly lower than in the third quarter of 2025, which Comet described as excellent. That comparison indicates the division faced a high benchmark from the previous year. The different performances across IXM and IXS underline that the quarter’s expansion was not uniform across the group. PCT led the rise, IXM added growth, and IXS eased modestly against its earlier result.

Orders reached CHF 275.6 million, up 170% year on year, a sharp increase that Comet said reflected customer confidence in the semiconductor sector’s long-term growth prospects. The company said the unusually high third-quarter total strengthened the basis for developing its business in the coming quarters.

Comet’s outlook for 2026 also accounts for geopolitical tensions affecting the global business environment. The company said it was only partially affected, while identifying possible indirect pressures from transport, logistics, energy and raw-material costs, alongside stricter regulatory requirements. Management said targeted measures and regional diversification were being used to manage those risks.

The quarterly figures give Comet a stronger order position as it enters the next stretch of the year, while its results show that performance varies across divisions. Semiconductor-related demand has powered PCT and helped IXM expand into markets including chips and batteries. At the same time, Comet’s comments point to costs and regulation as factors it is managing across its business. For a company headquartered in Fribourg and selling into international industrial markets, the combination of high orders and ongoing external pressures will shape how the current growth momentum develops.