Aixtron seen posting first quarter net loss

German semiconductor equipment maker Aixtron is expected to have swung to a net loss in the first quarter, when it completed the acquisition of US peer Genus, a Reuters poll showed. Seven analysts surveyed by Reuters expect Aixtron to post a net loss of 1 million euros ($1.3 million) on average, with estimates ranging from a 3-million euro loss to a 0.9 million euro profit. The forecasts for sales also varied widely, from 23 million to 38 million euros, averaging 28.6 million or 13 percent more than last year, reflecting uncertainty about the semiconductor market and about the effects from the Genus take-over.