KUALA LUMPUR (May 7): Pentamaster Corp Bhd (KL:PENTA) reported a 37% rise in net profit for the recently ended quarter, thanks to a surge of revenue at its factory automation solutions business.

The segment, which sells customised robotics manufacturing systems, is also expected to contribute more than half of the total revenue for this year and overtake its mainstay automated test equipment business, Pentamaster said in an exchange filing.

“The segment is anticipated to benefit from continued demand for automation solutions across the medical, consumer and industrial products as well as electro-optical segments,” Pentamaster said.

Net profit at the Penang-based firm for the first three months ended March 31, 2026 (1QFY2026) was RM17.94 million against RM13.07 million over the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue increased by 37% year-on-year to RM180.36 million — its highest revenue in over two years.

The automation segment was already the key growth driver during the quarter as revenue more than doubled from a year earlier, led by stronger project deliveries related to smartphone assembly and testing applications for an unidentified major customer.

Meanwhile, revenue at its test equipment business was down nearly 9% year-on-year mainly due to lower contributions from higher-margin automotive and electro-optical segments.

However, orders from semiconductor clients were strong on demand for test handling equipment linked to advanced integrated circuits, sensor technologies and next-generation smart devices.

The newly-established healthcare operations, which manufacture single-use medical devices, incurred losses and provided modest revenue in its initial phase of commercialisation, where fixed costs remained relatively high.

Revenue from healthcare is expected to “gradually increase as the segment progresses through its commercialisation and scale-up phase,” Pentamaster said.

Overall, the company said it will continue to focus on “delivering its project pipeline, improving operational efficiency and maintaining margin discipline, while remaining vigilant of external uncertainties.”

No dividend was declared for the quarter.