Jan 29 (Reuters) - Teradyne TER.O forecast first-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, indicating softening demand for its semiconductor-testing equipment.

Shares of the company were down 2% in after-hours trading.

High borrowing costs and economic uncertainty have forced businesses to reduce investments, impacting demand for Teradyne's products.

Demand from certain markets such as automotive continues to face pressure as customers grapple with surplus inventory due to a downturn triggered by stockpiling during the pandemic.

The North Reading, Massachusetts-based company also said it plans to "strategically realign" its robotics business, which would support Teradyne's growth and profitability over the mid-term.

"In 2025, we expect year-over-year revenue acceleration with improving conditions in our test businesses. We expect the secular growth opportunities in AI compute and memory to remain, and we will continue to invest into these areas," CEO Greg Smith said.

Teradyne designs and develops technology for chips and electronic equipment testing, and also sells robotic systems to customers in the manufacturing sector.

The company, with customers including Qualcomm QCOM.O and Texas Instruments TXN.O, forecast first-quarter revenue between $660 million and $700 million, the midpoint of which is below analysts' average estimate of $694 million, according to data compiled by LSEG.

It expects adjusted earnings per share in the range of 58 cents to 68 cents, against estimates of 63 cents.

Teradyne's revenue for the fourth quarter rose by 12% to $752.9 million compared to the same period a year ago, above the average estimate of $740.8 million.

On an adjusted basis, the company earned 95 cents per share, compared with estimates of 91 cents per share in the fourth quarter.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)

((Juby.Babu@thomsonreuters.com;))