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☆ Stellantis inks $11bln in contracts for vital semiconductors by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said on Tuesday that it has signed contracts worth 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) through 2030 with semiconductor makers to guarantee the flow of vital chips for electric vehicles and high-performance computing functions. The global auto industry is only now recovering from a pandemic-fueled shortage of semiconductor chips that forced major automakers to shut down production on certain models and scramble to find new sources of chips. "We have hundreds of very different semiconductors in our cars," Maxime Picat, Stellantis' chief purchasing and supply chain officer said in a statement. Stellantis said it is also working with chipmakers Infineon (IFXGn.DE), NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.O), onsemi (ON.O), and Qualcomm (QCOM.O) to further improve its car platforms and technologies. 3 carmaker said that its new supply agreements through 2030 cover silicon carbide chips that extend the range of EVs, computing chips to operate EVs and high-performance computing chips that will provide infotainment and autonomous driving assist functions.

Persons: Maxime Picat, Stellantis, carmaker, Nick Carey, Sharon Singleton Organizations: chipmakers Infineon, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Thomson

☆ China gallium curbs raise chip questions for future EV models
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium. Transphorm uses ultra thin layers of gallium nitride that are a micron, or one thousandth of a millimetre thick, on its semiconductors. "If you are already banking on gallium nitride and designing it into your platform, then you're in trouble," he said. A source at a Japanese automotive supplier told Reuters the company was weighing up whether to use gallium nitride or silicon carbide for future power semiconductors. "People have to look for other options, but gallium nitride is hard to replace, said the CMI's Neill.

Persons: Umesh Mishra, Mishra, Transphorm, Alastair Neill, Transphorm's Mishra, Neill, Nick Carey, Daniel Leussink, Christina Amann, Zoey Zhang, Matt Scuffham, David Evans Organizations: Alliance, micron, Critical Minerals Institute, Reuters, Infineon, Canada's GaN Systems, Thomson Locations: China, Goleta , California, Tokyo, Berlin, Shanghai

SummarySummary Companies UPS slips after Teamsters say it walked away from talksModerna climbs on deal to develop mRNA medicines in ChinaChip stocks slide on China's export curbsFed minutes awaited at 2:00 p.m. ETFutures down: Nasdaq 0.51%, S&P 0.42%, Dow 0.42%July 5 (Reuters) - Wall Street futures fell on Wednesday as investors awaited minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting for clues on the central bank's monetary policy path, while Sino-U.S. tensions and weak economic data from Beijing dented sentiment. Investors are focused on the Fed minutes, expected to be released around 2 p.m. More economic data, including the non-farm payrolls report on Friday, is scheduled for release this week. ET, Dow e-minis were down 146 points, or 0.42%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 19 points, or 0.42%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 78 points, or 0.51%.

Persons: Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Goldman Sachs, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Moderna, Dow, Wall, Sino, Microsoft, Investors, Fed, Swissquote Bank, Traders, Nvidia, Micron Technology, Netflix, Wolfspeed Inc, Renesas Electronics Corp, Tesla, Dow e, Nasdaq, United Parcel Service, Teamsters, Rivian, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, Washington, Germany, Bengaluru

Investors are focused on the Fed minutes, expected to be released around 2 p.m. Bets for a 25-basis-point rate hike in July stood at 83%, while traders have priced in a 32% chance the U.S. central bank would deliver another hike by October, according to Refinitiv data. "Stocks have accounted for another 25 basis point rate hike when the Fed meets later this month, but a lot of people are divided on whether or not there's going to be another rate hike (after July)." More economic data, including the non-farm payrolls report on Friday, is scheduled for release later this week. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 3.73-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.24-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Persons: Robert Pavlik, Goldman Sachs, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Netflix, Dow, Nasdaq, Sino, Dakota Wealth, Fed, Traders, U.S, Nvidia, Micron Technology, Semiconductor, SOX, Renesas Electronics Corp, Tesla, Dow Jones, United Parcel Service, Teamsters Union, Moderna, NYSE, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, Washington, Philadelphia, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Meta Platforms, Coinbase, UPS, General Motors & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta Verified displayed on mobile with Meta on screen, seen in this photo illustration, on February 27, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. Meta Platforms — Shares of the social media giant rose more than 2% even after a European Court ruled against Meta in an anti-trust case on Tuesday. Moderna – The Massachusetts-based biotechnology company added 2.1% after announcing it reached an agreement with officials to manufacture and develop mRNA medicines in China. General Motors — The legacy automaker added climbed nearly 1% after the company said U.S. sales increased 18.8% in the second quarter. The union said in a statement Wednesday that talks had collapsed after UPS "walked away" from negotiations.

Persons: Meta, Coinbase, Piper Sandler, Coinbase hasn't, —, General Motors, Donald Trump, Samantha Subin, Tanaya Macheel, Michelle Fox, Hakyung Kim, Jesse Pound, Alex Harring Organizations: Meta, Twitter, Renesas Electronics, Moderna, General, Equity Investment, Brookfield, United Parcel Service, Teamsters, UPS, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: Brussels, Belgium, The Massachusetts, China

☆ Chipmaker Wolfspeed secures $1.25 bln in debt funding led by Apollo Global
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 26 (Reuters) - Wolfspeed (WOLF.N) said on Monday that a group led by Apollo Global Management (APO.N) would make a debt investment of $1.25 billion in the chipmaker, with room for an additional $750 million, to support its U.S. expansion. Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe said the financing would help "scale up near-term operations at our Mohawk Valley Fab and construction of our Siler City materials facility to help us capture the growing silicon carbide market opportunity." The company in September last year had announced a multi-billion-dollar investment in a factory in Chatham County, North Carolina to make raw materials for chips that power electric vehicles, among other things. The company has the option to pay the debt early, Wolfspeed said. (This story has been refiled to add dropped word in the headline)Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gregg Lowe, Wolfspeed, Jaspreet Singh, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Apollo Global Management, Thomson Locations: Siler City, Chatham County , North Carolina, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: Toyota unveils battery, production innovations for new EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Toyota released a technology briefing, including details on new solid-state batteries, a day before its annual shareholder meeting where governance, climate lobbying and EV strategy are under scrutiny. Here are Toyota's key announcements:BATTERY TECHNOLOGYToyota has a number of initiatives to improve battery performance and reduce cost, and said it was ready to move from research toward production of solid-state batteries. It aims to sell vehicles powered by solid-state batteries by 2027 or 2028. Toyota said, without providing details, it had achieved a "technological breakthrough" overcoming problems previously identified with solid-state batteries' durability. Those chips promise to reduce power loss to the electric motor of an EV by up to 50%, Toyota said.

Persons: Daniel Leussink, Kevin Krolicki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Toyota, EV, Tesla, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi, Denso, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ STMicroelectronics and Sanan plan silicon carbide venture in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 7 (Reuters) - Semiconductor supplier STMicroelectronics (STMPA.PA) and Sanan Optoelectronics (600703.SS) plan to set up a silicon carbide manufacturing joint venture in Chongqing, China, they said on Wednesday. The companies said the cost of the venture was expected to be about $3.2 billion, including capital expenditure of about $2.4 billion over the next five years. The venture will produce silicon carbide devices exclusively for STMicroelectronics which are used in electric cars and other industrial power and energy applications. "China is moving fast towards electrification in automotive and industrial and this is a market where ST is already well-established with many engaged customer programs. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; editing by David Goodman and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sanan, Jean, Marc Chery, Sudip Kar, David Goodman, Jason Neely Organizations: Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: Chongqing, China

☆ Here are Cowen's top chip picks for an EV and autonomous-auto future
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's because the vehicle platform redesigns need to come through semiconductor innovations in processing and power-management technologies, analyst Joshua Buchalter wrote in a report on Monday. "We believe these powerful secular content themes are underappreciated amidst appropriate cyclical concerns and pushback on EV attach rate projections," he added. In fact, companies indexed to these trends can outgrow the broader market and should be on investors' radar today, Buchalter said. TD Cowen's proprietary model forecasts the total automotive semis market growing at a 9% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030 — doubling to about $121 billion. The company has already amassed a $30 billion auto revenue pipeline, spread across the digital cockpit, connectivity and ADAS, he pointed out.

Persons: TD Cowen, That's, Joshua Buchalter, Buchalter, Mobileye, Matthew Ramsay, Ramsay, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Microsystems, Mobileye's, Nvidia, Qualcomm Locations: ADAS

But the materials are expensive and still face supply bottlenecks compared with the cheaper standard silicon used in most chips. The company has previously raised funding from semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker Applied Materials (AMAT.O). iDEAL has partnered with Bloomington, Minnesota-based chip manufacturer Polar Semiconductor to make its first chips and is planning to roll them out later this year. Granahan said silicon carbide chips can still beat iDEAL's for certain applications including the extremely high voltage chips needed for applications such as electric semi trucks. But he said iDEAL's chips could be competitive for about 90% of the overall market for power chips.

☆ 'Really exciting': Fund manager picks A.I. stocks and names an opportunity 'we haven't seen yet'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Big tech isn't dead, according to portfolio manager Trent Masters, who identified his favorite stocks to play artificial intelligence and more. While there were minimal changes to earnings estimates in aggregate, this was better than feared heading in," said Masters, global portfolio manager at Sydney-based Alphinity. Masters said that one "really exciting area" yet to be explored is the creation of verticals that sit on top of large language models like ChatGBT. Large language models, or LLMs, are programmed to understand human language and generate responses based on large sets of data. Microsoft Masters said Microsoft is "the first port of call" for investors who want to delve into AI.

☆ ON Semiconductor mulls $2 bln investment in electric vehicle chip production
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - ON Semiconductor Corp (ON.O) is considering investing $2 billion in boosting production of silicon carbide chips that are widely used to help extend the range of electric vehicles, company executives said on Tuesday. The company makes more than half of its own chips internally and has invested in a full supply chain for energy efficient silicon carbide chips, making both the raw materials and finished chips in-house. Trent said that increased silicon carbide production would happen at one of the company's existing sites, rather building a new factory, to save costs. At a financial analyst day on Thursday, executives said they aim to capture 40% of the silicon carbide automotive chip market by 2027. Over the same time period, ON Semiconductor expects to expand free cash flows from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion to $4 billion by 2027.

☆ Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley say these chip stocks have more upside — giving one nearly 50%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC Pro trawled through Wall Street research to look for semiconductor stocks that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley expect will grow in value. Morgan Stanley In an April 24 note, Morgan Stanley said it expects a "headwind for most broad based companies" toward the second half of the year. Wolfspeed : Morgan Stanley said execution "will be key" as the company creates new manufacturing capacity. ON Semiconductor : Morgan Stanley said the company could have an earnings stream that is "likely more recession proof than the higher end analog names." Goldman Sachs Goldman named two buy-rated semiconductor stocks in an April 23 report: KLA Corporation and Impinj .

Bosch said it plans to invest $1.5 billion to retool TSI's chip production facilities in Roseville, California to start producing silicon carbide chips by 2026. Bosch said the TSI facility would become the "third pillar" of in-house semiconductor production, along with two sites in Germany. The silicon carbide chips Bosch said it will manufacture at the TSI Roseville site are increasingly in demand by electric vehicle manufacturers. U.S-based Wolfspeed Inc (WOLF.N) is building new plants to make silicon carbide chips in New York State and in Germany. Bosch plans to acquire the buildings, machines and infrastructure of TSI as well as well as its commercial semiconductor business.

☆ Bank of America sees this chipmaker rallying more than 25% as electric vehicle demand grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On Semiconductor is a top chip stock for autos that could jump more than 25%, Bank of America said. This was in addition to news that On Semiconductor signed a long-term electric vehicle supply deal with BMW. "This win complements ON's other notable wins at Tesla, Mercedes, Jaguar Land Rover, VW, Hyundai, and Nio," Arya wrote in a Tuesday note. On Semiconductor shares are more than 26% higher in 2023, after also outperforming last year in spite of an 8% drop. "We expect ON to maintain/expand its 25-30% CY23E SiC device mkt share, while also benefitting from its leadership in image sensors for advanced driver assist systems," Arya wrote.

☆ Elon Musk's 'Master Plan' for Tesla fails to charge up investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 2 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) shares fell 6% premarket on Thursday, after Chief Executive Elon Musk and team's four-hour presentation failed to impress investors waiting for an affordable electric vehicle and a plan with a concrete timeline. However, the event, where Musk revealed the EV maker's 'Master Plan 3', was short on details about the timeline or any new Tesla products. "The timeline and cost details were limited, and the event lacked a Tesla-like surprise," Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan said. The reduction plan was "bad news for the whole silicon carbide production chain and in particular for STMicro," Brokerage Equita said. It estimates that Tesla accounted for 70% of 2022 semiconductor sales at STMicro.

☆ Tesla's plan to slash silicon carbide use sends some chipmakers' shares down
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shares in some chipmakers dipped on Thursday after electric vehicle maker Tesla said it plans to greatly reduce the use of silicon carbide transistors in its next-generation vehicle powertrains. Campbell revealed that, "In our next powertrain, the silicon carbide transistors that I mentioned, that are key component[s] but expensive, we figured out a way to use 75% less without compromising the performance or the efficiency of the car." Chips made with silicon carbide transistors are widely used in electric vehicles. They added the possibility that "cheaper [silicon carbide chips] could drive up EV adoption globally so what vendors lose on content could be partially offset by greater EV volumes." New Street does not expect a lower-priced, next generation Tesla vehicle to "ramp in volumes before 2025 or 2026."

☆ Factbox: Chipmakers' plans for factories in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Under the European Chips Act, the European Commission earmarked early last year a total of 15 billion euros ($16 billion) for public and private semiconductor projects by 2030. Below are some of the chipmakers' plans for factories in Europe, in alphabetical order:Infineon (IFXGn.DE):The maker of chips used in cars and data won approval to begin work on a 5 billion euro semiconductor plant in the German city of Dresden, it said on Feb. 16. Intel (INTC.O):In March 2022, Intel picked the German city of Magdeburg as the site for its new mega chip manufacturing complex, a key part of its $88 billion investment drive across Europe. STMicroelectronics (STM.BN):The Franco-Italian company said in October it plans to build a 730 million euro silicon carbide wafer plant in Italy. It also announced plans in July to build a semiconductor factory in France in partnership with GlobalFoundries (GFS.O).

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Wolfspeed (WOLF.N) will build a $3-billion chip plant and a research and development centre in Germany, it said on Wednesday, expecting to start construction within months provided it receives subsidy approval from the European Union. Automotive supplier ZF (ZFF.UL) will invest $185 million for a stake in the chip fab and will take a majority stake in the research centre, the companies said. Wolfspeed expects to receive 20% of the investment amount in subsidies, Chief Executive Gregg Lowe told German newspaper Handelsblatt. Volkswagen, Europe's top carmaker, earlier this month warned that the chip squeeze meant 2023 would remain volatile and challenging, but expected supplies to improve. The company announced in September a new plant in the United States due for completion in 2030.

☆ Wolfspeed to build $3-bln EV chip plant in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Wolfspeed (WOLF.N) will build a $3-billion chip plant in Germany, with automotive supplier ZF (ZFF.UL) investing $185 million for an equity stake, company officials said on Wednesday, confirming an earlier Reuters report. ZF's share of the factory's chip output will be defined by a separate contractual agreement, the companies said. "This is an important sign that Germany continues to be attractive even in difficult circumstances for high-tech investments," he said. "Amid the concerns that the U.S. wants to divert investments from Europe with its Inflation Reduction Act, we're showing that a U.S. firm wants to invest in Germany," a German government source said. The company announced in September a new plant in the United States due for completion in 2030.

☆ Wolfspeed to announce EV chip plant in Germany, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - German chip supplier ZF Friedrichshafen (ZFF.UL) and U.S. chipmaker Wolfspeed (WOLF.N) will announce plans on Wednesday to build an electric vehicle chip plant in the Saarland region, according to three sources close to the matter. "This is an important sign that Germany continues to be attractive even in difficult circumstances for high-tech investments," he said. "Amid the concerns that the U.S. wants to divert investments from Europe with its Inflation Reduction Act, we're showing that a U.S. firm wants to invest in Germany," a German government source said. Volkswagen, Europe's top carmaker, earlier this month warned that the chip squeeze meant 2023 would remain volatile and challenging, but expected supplies to improve. Wolfspeed specialises in silicon carbide chips, which have been gaining traction with electric car makers as they can handle high voltages and are more power efficient.

Bought from McLaren by private equity firm Greybull Capital in 2021, McLaren Applied has adapted an efficient inverter developed for F1 racing for EVs. Fry says McLaren Applied is working with around 20 carmakers and suppliers, and the inverter will appear in high-volume luxury EV models starting January 2025. NO TIME TO LOSESome suppliers like Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Actnano have had long relationships with EV pioneer Tesla (TSLA.O). Coakley said CelLink was working with U.S. and European carmakers, and with a European battery maker on battery wiring. But it has now also developed battery packs, electric powertrains, e-axles and is working with around 20 customers, including carmakers and an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Bed Bath & Beyond, Coinbase, Virgin Orbit and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery — Shares of the media company jumped more than 6% after Bank of America added the stock to the "US1" list. Coinbase — Shares jumped almost 6% after the cryptocurrency exchange shared plans to trim its workforce by 20%. Bed Bath & Beyond — The retailer jumped nearly 19%. Frontline — Shares of the shipping company jumped 26% after Frontline announced that it was terminating a deal to combine with Euronav. Agilent Technologies — Shares rose more than 4% a day after the company announced a $2 billion share repurchase program.

☆ Chip stocks did badly this year — but this fund manager is still bullish, naming 2 to buy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index is down nearly 37% year to date. Producing electric vehicles, for instance, involves using a lot more semiconductors, Gleeson noted. Another semiconductor firm he likes is U.S.-based Lattice Semiconductor , which is focusing more on the autos industry. Gleeson isn't the only one who's optimistic on the chip sector. Several Wall Street pros are also urging investors to take a longer-term view on the sector , given the importance of the semiconductor chip in several key secular trends.

☆ John Palmour Changed Recipe for Making Microchips
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As a graduate student in materials science in the early 1980s, John Palmour took a chance on an unproven way to make semiconductors, substituting silicon carbide for the usual pure silicon. Silicon carbide had long been seen as a promising chip material, especially in applications involving lots of power and heat. The rub was that it was hard to avoid defects in the tricky process of growing silicon carbide crystals. Because the material is extremely hard, it also was difficult to slice into the required sizes.

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