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☆ Micron shares surge after upbeat first-quarter forecast due to AI demand for memory chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Micron Technology shares surged roughly 14% in after-hours trading after the memory maker forecast higher-than-expected first-quarter revenue due to the thirst for its memory chips used in artificial intelligence computing. HBM is a space-saving, power-efficient type of dynamic random access memory chip, or DRAM, crucial for AI-focused graphics processing units, that aid in processing vast amounts of data. "Demand from data center customers continues to be strong and customer inventory levels are healthy," Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said on a conference call with analysts. The AI boom has also helped Micron cushion the hit from a memory chip inventory glut in PC and smartphone markets. Personal computers infused with AI technologies are expected to have more memory chips, helping firms such as Micron.

Persons: Sanjay Mehrotra, Wall, Kinngai Chan, Sumit Sadana Organizations: Micron Technology, Micron, South Korea's SK Hynix, Samsung, Nvidia Locations: U.S

The logo of Nvidia Corporation is seen during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan May 30, 2017. Nvidia's stock price, though, has more than tripled this year and was set to hit an all-time high after Wednesday's results. The company has a near-monopoly on the computing systems used to power services like ChatGPT, OpenAI's blockbuster generative AI chatbot. Huang declined to comment on whether the AI boom will last past next year. The company said the biggest sales driver this quarter was its HGX system, which is an entire computer built around Nvidia's chip.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Huang, Jensen Huang, quashing, Kinngai Chan, Chan, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, Patel, We're, Stephen Nellis, Max Cherney, Chavi Mehta, Sonali Paul Organizations: Nvidia Corporation, REUTERS, Nvidia, Reuters, Microsoft, Summit, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, OpenAI, San Francisco

☆ AMD shares fall as analysts worry AI chip targets may be ambitious
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) is seen on a graphics processing unit (GPU) chip in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationAug 2 (Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices's (AMD.O) shares fell about 6% on Wednesday as analysts raised concerns that the chip designer's targets for an artificial intelligence (AI) ramp-up may be too ambitious. "Unless numbers get really material, soon, we fear estimates remain too high and the stock (AMD) looks a little stretched to us," Bernstein analysts wrote in a note. Summit Insights Group analyst Kinngai Chan said investors were giving AMD a pass hoping for a bigger AI payday. "The Bulls want AMD to be the next concept stock... the Bears say show me the results and make me believe the AI hype."

Persons: Florence Lo, Fitch, Bernstein, Kinngai Chan, Akash Sriram, Chavi Mehta, Devika Organizations: Devices Inc, REUTERS, Philadelphia, Semiconductor, Nvidia, AMD, Refinitiv, Bulls, Bears, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationAug 2 (Reuters) - Qualcomm (QCOM.O) forecast fourth-quarter sales below market expectations on Wednesday and said it would likely cut jobs as consumer spending on gadgets like smartphones remained stubbornly weak amid slowing global economic growth. The company estimated fourth-quarter revenue of $8.1 billion to $8.9 billion, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected $8.70 billion. Qualcomm forecast a fourth-quarter adjusted earnings range with a midpoint of $1.90, in line with analysts' consensus estimate of $1.91 per share according to Refinitiv data. It forecast adjusted fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.80 and $2, compared to estimates of $1.91. The automotive sector was a bright spot as Qualcomm seeks to diversify beyond smartphone chips.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Akash Palkhiwala, Palkhiwala, Refinitiv, Cristiano Amon, MediaTek, Apple, Bob Bruggeworth, NXP, Amon, Kinngai Chan, Chavi Mehta, Cherney, Stephen Nellis, Arun Koyyur, Richard Chang Organizations: Qualcomm, REUTERS, Huawei, Philadelphia, Semiconductor, SOX, Apple, Summit, U.S, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, China, U.S, Bengaluru, San Francisco

☆ Chipmaker Intel restructures manufacturing business
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 21 (Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O) said on Wednesday its manufacturing business will work like a separate unit and will begin to generate a margin, but gave no clear timeline on when it will start scaling up, sending the chipmaker's shares down about 5%. The company also did not name a new external customer for the business as part of its foundry services, a key element of Intel's turnaround plans wherein it will offer its manufacturing services to other companies including its competitors. Intel's internal business units will now have a customer-supplier relationship with the manufacturing business, Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner said on an investor call. Based on that model, Intel will be the second largest foundry next year with manufacturing revenue of more than $20 billion, he said. "The presentation essentially tells investors that its current manufacturing is sub-scale and could remain sub-scale for a while," Chan added.

Persons: David Zinsner, Kinngai Chan, Chan, Chavi Mehta, Maju Samuel Organizations: Intel Corp, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Broadcom forecasts third-quarter revenue above estimates on AI boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Tiyashi Datta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 1 (Reuters) - Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O) forecast third-quarter revenue above market estimates on Thursday, as it benefits from massive corporate investments in AI-related technologies. Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan said generative AI could account for more than 25% of the company's semiconductor revenue in 2024. Broadcom supplies chips used in data centers for networking and specialized chips that speed up AI work. It released a new chip for wiring together supercomputers for AI work using networking technology in April. Broadcom forecast current-quarter revenue of about $8.85 billion, while analysts polled by Refinitiv are expecting revenue of $8.72 billion.

Persons: ChatGPT, Hock Tan, Tan, Kinngai Chan, Refinitiv, Chavi Mehta, Tiyashi Datta, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Broadcom Inc, Broadcom, Nvidia, Nvidia Corp, Revenue, Thomson Locations: San Jose , California, Bengaluru

While Qualcomm hopes smartphone sales will recover in China in the second half of the year, CEO Cristiano Amon told investors on a conference call that "we have not seen evidence of meaningful recovery and are not incorporating improvements into our planning assumptions." The company said a larger-than-normal decline in its chip revenue forecast from the prior quarter was mainly due "to the timing of purchases by a modem-only handset customer." Qualcomm forecast chips revenue of $6.9 billion to $7.5 billion. Qualcomm also faces stiffer competition, especially for high end smartphone chips, from Taiwan's MediaTek (2454.TW). Qualcomm forecast total revenue of $8.1 billion to $8.9 billion in the third quarter.

The company said a larger-than-normal decline in its chip revenue forecast from the prior quarter was mainly due "to the timing of purchases by a modem-only handset customer." Qualcomm forecast chips revenue of $6.9 billion to $7.5 billion. Smartphone demand has remained weak despite promotions and price cuts. Qualcomm also faces stiffer competition, especially for high end smartphone chips, from Taiwan's MediaTek (2454.TW). Qualcomm forecast revenue of $8.1 billion to $8.9 billion in the third quarter.

During a conference call with investors, the company projected that adjusted gross margins will climb above 40% in the second half, having hit historic lows in the first half of the year. Underscoring Intel's profitability slump in recent years, its first-quarter unadjusted gross margin fell to 34.2%, almost half of its multi-decade high of over 67% in 2010. The company forecast a further drop to an unadjusted gross margin of 33.2% for the second quarter. "While we understand investors may be disappointed in its 2Q23 gross margin outlook, we are confident that Intel's gross margin will recover in 2H23 as the burden of factory underutilization and new product start-up cost diminishes," said Kinngai Chan, analyst at Summit Insights Group. Intel said adjusted losses were 4 cents per share, above analysts' expectations of a 15 cent per share adjusted loss.

April 25 (Reuters) - Texas Instruments (TXN.O) forecast second-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, signaling demand weakness is spreading to most of the analog chipmaker's end-markets. The company's revenue in both the personal electronics segment and the division that caters to data center servers fell 30% in the first quarter from the fourth quarter. Industrial market revenue was flat. Still automotive was a bright spot in the first quarter, with revenue up mid-single digits, the company said. The company forecast revenue in the current quarter in the range of $4.17 billion to $4.53 billion versus estimates of $4.44 billion.

☆ AI boost lifts Broadcom forecast amid lingering enterprise weakness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Broadcom Limited company logo is shown outside one of their office complexes in Irvine, California, U.S., March 4, 2021. REUTERS/Mike BlakeMarch 2 (Reuters) - Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O) forecast second-quarter revenue above estimates on Thursday, as increased investments in artificial intelligence spur demand for its chips used in data centers. Broadcom, which supplies chips used in data centers for networking and specialized chips that speed up AI work, expects networking revenue to grow 20% in the current quarter. While analysts spotted green shoots in the AI space, they also saw weaknesses emerge in areas such as broadband and cloud spending. The chip designer expects current-quarter revenue to be about $8.7 billion, while analysts on average expect $8.59 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Texas Instruments signals expanding pain for chipmakers with somber forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Texas Instruments (TXN.O) forecast first-quarter revenue and profit largely below Wall Street targets on Tuesday, as an economic downturn threatens to shackle demand from the chipmaker's so far resilient markets. Order cancellations rose during the fourth quarter, head of investor relations Dave Pahl told analysts in an earnings call. Total revenue fell 3% to $4.67 billion in the quarter, compared with estimates of $4.62 billion. Texas Instruments expects revenue of $4.17 billion to $4.53 billion in the first quarter, the mid-point of which is lower than estimates of $4.41 billion, according to Refinitiv data. It expects current-quarter earnings per share between $1.64 and $1.90, the mid-point of which also fell short of expectations of $1.87.

☆ Texas Instruments' forecasts miss estimates in sign of wider demand slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Chipmaker Texas Instruments (TI) (TXN.O) forecast first-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street targets on Tuesday as a wider economic downturn threatens to shake demand even in end-markets that were resilient last year. The automotive market was the only exception to weak demand, TI Chief Executive Rich Templeton, who will step down in April, said on Tuesday. TI's revenue fell 3% to $4.67 billion, but beat analysts' average estimate of $4.62 billion, according to Refinitiv data. The company expects revenue of $4.17 billion to $4.53 billion in the first quarter, the mid-point of which is lower than estimates of $4.41 billion. It expects current-quarter earnings per share between $1.64 and $1.90, the mid-point of which also fell short of expectations.

"Due to the significant supply demand mismatch entering calendar 2023, we expect that profitability will remain challenged throughout 2023," Micron chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra said. Micron, reporting earnings on Wednesday, forecast second-quarter revenue of $3.8 billion, plus or minus $200 million, above Wall Street estimates. But it forecast a loss of 62 cents per share plus or minus 10 cents, much steeper than analysts' estimates for a 30 cents loss. Micron said the layoffs, part of a restructuring plan, would result in charges of at least $30 million in the second quarter. Revenue for the first quarter ended Nov. 30 fell about 47% year on year to $4.09 billion.

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Chip designer and computing firm Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) beat expectations for third-quarter revenue on Wednesday, thanks to strong demand in its data center business on the back of rising cloud adoption. Data center revenue in the third quarter rose 31% from a year ago, while gaming revenue was down 51% from a year ago. Cloud companies are increasingly using Nvidia chips in their systems. read moreAnd Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress said while the export restrictions impacted third-quarter revenue, the decline was "largely offset by sales of alternative products into China." Nvidia forecast current-quarter revenue at $6 billion, plus or minus 2%, versus expectation of $6.09 billion.

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Chip designer and computing firm Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) beat expectations for third-quarter revenue on Wednesday, thanks to strong demand in its data center business on the back of rising cloud adoption. Nvidia's A100 data center chip and ramp-up in its latest "Hopper" series H100 chip will help the company maintain momentum in the data center space, analysts said. Data center revenue in the third quarter rose 31% from a year ago, while gaming revenue was down 51% from a year ago. Analysts on average expect revenue of $6.09 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $5.77 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

AMD forecast fourth-quarter and full-year revenue below Wall Street estimates, but Kinngai Chan, an analyst at Summit Insights Group, suggested investors had braced for worse. "While AMD's 4Q22 sales outlook was below consensus expectations, we believe investors are somewhat relieved that AMD expects its data center and embedded businesses to grow sequentially," Chan said. While AMD has been growing its market share quickly in the datacenter, rival Intel Corp.(INTC.O) has seen its share slip even in its latest earnings reported. Su added the North American cloud market was the most resilient of the data center market segments, though she did not expect significant recovery of the China data center market in 2023. While its Data Center revenue was $1.6 billion, up 45% year-on-year.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD.O) on Tuesday forecast some strength in its data center business and promised to be careful with spending, sending shares up despite business being hit by a deepening PC market slump. AMD forecast fourth-quarter and full-year revenue below Wall Street estimates, but Kinngai Chan, an analyst at Summit Insights Group, suggested investors were braced for worse. "While AMD's 4Q22 sales outlook was below consensus expectations, we believe investors are somewhat relieved that AMD expects its data center and embedded businesses to grow sequentially," Chan said. She added that the North American cloud market was the most resilient of the data center market segments, though she did not expect significant recovery of the China data center market in 2023. While its Data Center revenue was $1.6 billion, up 45% year-on-year.

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) on Thursday cut its full-year profit and revenue forecast and warned it would lay off staff, but a stronger-than-expected performance at its personal computers segment helped send shares higher. Intel also cut its capital spending forecast for this fiscal year to $25 billion from a previous forecast of $27 billion. Intel has been losing market share in the data center market and Gelsinger said it lost market share again in the third quarter. But he said Intel gained "meaningful" market share improvement in the PC segment in the third quarter. Intel trimmed its full-year adjusted earnings per share forecast to $1.95 from $2.30.

In its earnings release Intel said it was focused on driving $3 billion in cost reductions in 2023. So driving efficiency in the factory network is way more important to our economics than people cost," Gelsinger told Reuters, adding that adjustments of flexible workforces can be "quite immediate". "We believe its data center share loss should also moderate going into next year." PC shipments fell 15.5% in the third quarter, data from Counterpoint Research showed. Chipmakers have also come under pressure from concerns that the threat of a global recession could prompt clients from the more lucrative data center market to wind down spending.

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