UPDATE 2-Advantest posts Q1 loss, sees no sign of recovery

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By Mayumi Negishi

TOKYO, July 25 (Reuters) - Japan's Advantest Corp (6857.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the world's No.1 maker of chip testers, tumbled to a quarterly loss as sales halved and orders fell by two-thirds, prompting it to forecast its first first-half loss in six years.

Advantest, which competes with Teradyne (TER.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Verigy Ltd (VRGY.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), is fighting sliding revenues as inventory-shackled semiconductor makers put off spending on testing equipment amid an industry-wide slump.

Advantest and its rivals are all under pressure to find new revenues or new costs to cut. Rivals Credence Systems Corp CMOS.O and LTX Corp LTXX.O plan to merge to pare their losses.

Advantest said its sales in April-June fell 54 percent to 26.5 billion yen ($247.4 million). With orders falling even more steeply, it said it expected no recovery in the current quarter.

"If these (sales) levels continue, then it's going to be a struggle" to secure profit for the full year, Executive Officer Hiroshi Nakamura told reporters at a news conference.

"We have very little visibility for the rest of the year."

The firm would work to cut costs, such as spending in research and development, and gain market share, he said.