Wolfspeed’s Wild Rebound: Stock Jumps 33% as Chipmaker Escapes Bankruptcy /1:20 PM ET/

Shares Surge: Wolfspeed’s stock (NYSE: WOLF) jumped about 33% on Sept. 30, 2025, reaching a 52-week high (~$32) after news it emerged from Chapter 11 with massive debt reduction ^[1]. The 52-week range is now roughly $0.39–$34.25 ^[2], reflecting extreme volatility.
Chapter 11 Restructuring: The company filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2025 citing weak demand and policy uncertainty ^[3]. On Sept. 8 the court approved its reorganization plan, enabling a ~70% debt cut ^[4]. Wolfspeed officially exited Chapter 11 on Sept. 29 ^[5].
Financial Results: In Q4 FY2025 (ended June 30) Wolfspeed had ~$197 million in revenue (vs $201M prior year) and a GAAP net loss of $4.30 per share ^[6]. Full-year FY2025 revenue was ~$758 M (down from $807M) with a GAAP loss of $11.39/sh ^[7]. Q2 and Q3 2025 saw similar trends (∼$180–185M sales with deep losses) ^[8] ^[9]. Non-GAAP losses were slightly smaller but still negative.
Strategic Focus: New CEO Robert Feurle (appointed May 2025) is cutting costs and focusing the business on Wolfspeed’s state-of-the-art 200mm SiC wafer fab at Mohawk Valley, NY ^[10] ^[11]. The Mohawk facility’s output now makes up a large portion of sales ($94.1M in Q4) ^[12]. Older fabs (e.g. 150mm lines) have been closed or repurposed to streamline operations ^[13].
Market Outlook: In May 2025 Wolfspeed guided to only ~$850M in 2026 revenue (below the $959M analysts expected) due to soft EV and energy demand ^[14]. Analysts note Wolfspeed still expects losses, unlike peers Onsemi and NXP (forward P/E ~17–18) ^[15]. Industry forecasts remain strong for SiC chips (projected ~16% CAGR in SiC market to 2032) ^[16], but competition and pricing pressures (especially from Chinese rivals) continue to weigh on margins ^[17].

Stock Performance

Wolfspeed’s share price has been extremely volatile. After peaking near $134 in late 2021, WOLF plunged on operational setbacks, falling into low single digits by mid-2025 ^[18]. It briefly hit multiyear lows (around $0.39) during the summer bankruptcy period ^[19]. The Sept. 30, 2025 trading day saw WOLF trade up around 46% intraday (close ~$32.39) ^[20], fueled by the Chapter 11 exit announcement ^[21]. This dramatic rebound put the stock roughly 80% above its prior 52-week low and firmly at a one-year high. Trading volume has spiked accordingly, reflecting frenzied investor interest. (For context, Wolfspeed’s market cap is now on the order of several billion USD.) Overall, WOLF has gained a few hundred percent over the past year ^[22], though much of that gain recoups losses from the bankruptcy plunge.

Recent Company News

The headline story is Wolfspeed’s restructuring. In June 2025 the company entered Chapter 11 in U.S. bankruptcy court, citing “deepening economic uncertainty” from trade policy changes and weaker EV demand ^[23]. Its board had already ousted CEO Gregg Lowe in late 2024 amid these challenges ^[24]. In early May 2025, Wolfspeed hired Robert Feurle as CEO, who immediately announced plans to slash costs and chase “rapidly scaling markets” (AI data centers, EVs, aerospace, etc.) ^[25]. The company closed an old 150mm wafer fab and is fully ramping its new 200mm Mohawk fab to improve efficiency ^[26] ^[27].

In August 2025 Wolfspeed reported its Q4/FY2025 earnings: revenue was roughly flat year-over-year, but GAAP losses widened to $(4.30) per share in Q4 ^[28]. Management reiterated that the Chapter 11 plan was progressing. In early September 2025, a bankruptcy court approved Wolfspeed’s reorganization plan ^[29]. The CEO noted this clears the way to “complete our restructuring process” and emerge from Chapter 11 soon with a much stronger balance sheet ^[30]. By Sept. 29 the company officially exited Chapter 11, having cut nearly 70% of its total debt and slashed annual interest costs by roughly 60% ^[31] ^[32]. The restructured company issued only 1.3 million new shares (legacy shares were cancelled) as part of the bankruptcy exchange ^[33]. The board was refreshed with five new directors (including former Micron and Corning executives) ^[34], and veteran Gregor van Issum became CFO in September 2025 ^[35].

Management now emphasizes that Wolfspeed is poised to meet “rising demand” in AI, EV, industrial and energy markets with its 200mm SiC platform ^[36]. CEO Feurle and Chairman Tom Werner have touted the company’s strong SiC IP and automated manufacturing footprint ^[37] ^[38]. Feurle has said Wolfspeed will emerge from bankruptcy with the “financial flexibility” to pursue its strategic priorities ^[39].

Financial Performance and Operations

Wolfspeed’s recent results reflect falling revenue and mounting losses. For FY2025 (ended June 30, 2025), consolidated revenue was about $758 million, down from $807 million a year earlier ^[40]. Q4 FY2025 revenue was approximately $197 million (versus $201M prior year) ^[41]. The Mohawk Valley 200mm fab is now a key revenue driver: it accounted for $94.1M of Q4 sales (versus $41M year-over-year) ^[42]. However, gross margins have been sharply negative due to high underutilization costs on the new fab. Wolfspeed recorded a GAAP net loss of $4.30 per share in Q4 ^[43] and $(11.39) for the full year ^[44]. (On a non-GAAP basis, Q4 loss was $0.77/sh.) Earlier in FY2025, Q2 revenue was $180.5M (GAAP loss $0.95/sh) ^[45] and Q3 revenue was $185M (loss $1.86/sh) ^[46]. The losses reflect ramp costs and ramp-up of new capacity even as sales sagged.

To address this, Wolfspeed has been cutting costs: it closed its old Durham 150mm silicon carbide plant, slashed R&D and operating expenses, and reduced headcount (leadership reduced by ~30%) ^[47] ^[48]. The company also raised capital: it completed a $200M ATM equity offering and received roughly $192M of tax refunds under the U.S. Section 48D credit ^[49] (Q3 earnings). Post-restructuring, Wolfspeed’s liquidity is said to be sufficient to keep supplying customers ^[50].

Expert Commentary and Outlook

Market reaction to Wolfspeed’s turnaround has been mixed. Some analysts view the new, debt-light company as undervalued given the growing SiC market. One research note argues that after cancelling old shares, the new Wolfspeed “may now be undervalued at $22 per share” based on its technology leadership and market opportunities ^[51]. CEO Feurle and management are touting potential to capture “rapidly scaling markets” (EVs, AI, industrial) with their 200mm SiC platform ^[52] ^[53].

However, others caution that the stock’s surge is not rooted in improved fundamentals yet. A recent analysis described the rally as “meme-ish,” noting the stock’s implied $7B valuation looks high given ongoing losses ^[54]. Reuters similarly points out Wolfspeed still carries a “negative multiple” since analysts expect more losses ^[55]. Indeed, after guidance in May 2025, analysts had Wolfspeed forecasting only ~$850M in 2026 revenue (below prior estimates) ^[56]. The fate of U.S. subsidies (the $750M CHIPS Act grant for the NC fab) also introduced uncertainty; earlier worries over this funding contributed to a low in March 2025 ^[57].

Consensus analyst ratings remain subdued (roughly a “Hold” consensus before the bankruptcy saga), and price targets ranged in the low single digits or teens before the recent run-up. Investors are watching whether Wolfspeed can translate its restructured balance sheet and industry leadership into profits. For now, the CEO says the next milestone is to “emerge from Chapter 11 shortly with a much stronger financial structure” ^[58]. Any upward momentum will depend on sustained demand recovery and execution on their 200mm strategy.

Industry and Competitor Context

Wolfspeed is a leading player in the silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor niche. The global SiC chip market is expected to grow rapidly (several-fold by 2030 due to EVs, renewable energy, etc.) ^[59]. Major competitors include STMicroelectronics, Infineon, ON Semiconductor and ROHM, all investing heavily in SiC. ST and Infineon in particular are rolling out advanced 200mm SiC products ^[60]. In 2024, Infineon announced it will deliver 200mm SiC chips from its Austrian fab, and STMicro is shipping fourth-generation SiC MOSFETs optimized for EVs ^[61]. Chinese SiC entrants (e.g. TanKeBlue, SiCC, EpiWorld) are also aggressively expanding, often undercutting prices ^[62].

By contrast, Wolfspeed’s new focus is on high-end applications (where quality is paramount) and leveraging its greenfield fabs. The Mohawk Valley plant is touted as the world’s first fully automated 200mm SiC fab ^[63]. Wolfspeed claims this gives it a cost advantage in premium markets, even as it exits the commoditized 150mm business ^[64]. Industry observers note that while Wolfspeed’s technology is competitive, its margins have been squeezed by competition. For instance, analysts point out that Onsemi now trades near 18× forward earnings and NXP near 17× ^[65], reflecting profitable growth, whereas Wolfspeed remains unprofitable for the time being.

Sources: Recent news articles, press releases, and financial reports on Wolfspeed (as of Sept. 30, 2025) ^[66] ^[67] ^[68] ^[69] ^[70] ^[71]. These include Wolfspeed’s official filings and commentary, as well as analysis by Reuters, industry media, and market research firms. Each key fact and quote above is sourced accordingly.