Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is set to launch its Llano APU in Q3 of 2011 to compete with Intel's (INTC) Sandy Bridge. Here we take a look at how these two processors stack up against each other. AMD also competes with Nvidia (NVDA) in the PC microprocessor and graphics businesses.

Our price estimate for AMD stands at $8.85, which is roughly in line with market price.

Continue reading Can AMD's Llano Beat Sandy Bridge?

Can AMD's Llano Beat Sandy Bridge? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) competes with Intel (INTC) and Nvidia (NVDA) in the PC microprocessor and graphics businesses. Our price estimate for AMD stands at $9.30, which is roughly in line with market price. We estimate that although most of the company's value comes from microprocessor business, about 14% can be attributed to graphics.

One of the recent wins in this regard was Apple's (AAPL) plan to use AMD's graphics cards in its Macbook Pro notebooks. What does this tell us about AMD?

Continue reading AMD's Macbook Pro Inclusion Signals Upside for Graphics Market Share

AMD's Macbook Pro Inclusion Signals Upside for Graphics Market Share originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) competes with Intel (INTC)and Nvidia (NVDA) in the PC microprocessor and graphics businesses. Our price estimate for AMD stands at $9.30, which is roughly in line with market price. The company recently launched a marketing campaign to better promote its products against competitors. Intel, for one, has continuously overshadowed AMD. Does AMD's stock value stand to gain from these initiatives? Here we assess the outlook for a few key metrics.

Continue reading AMD Can Leverage Short-Term Opportunity, but Real Value Comes from Long-Term Positioning

AMD Can Leverage Short-Term Opportunity, but Real Value Comes from Long-Term Positioning originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - option chain) stock is trading lower today after the company announced the resignation of CEO Dirk Meyer, naming Thomas Seifert interim CEO. Investors are surprised by this announcement, since Meyer took over AMD when the company was floundering and has since stabilized AMD. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on AMD.

This morning, AMD opened at $8.77. So far today the stock has hit a high of $8.80 and a low of $8.35. As of 12:25, AMD is trading at $8.49, down $0.70 (-7.6%). The chart for AMD looks neutral and S&P gives AMD a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading AMD CEO Steps Aside Suddenly

AMD CEO Steps Aside Suddenly originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Call volume is unusually heavy on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today, with nearly 8,300 contracts changing hands during the first hour of the session -- easily outpacing the stock's average daily call activity of 6,774 contracts. However, the day's option volume isn't necessarily bullish in nature.

Nearly all of today's volume has taken place at AMD's January 2012 7.50 call, where a block of 8,000 contracts traded at the bid price -- suggesting they were most likely sold. This block appears to have been tied to a corresponding stock trade, which means we're likely seeing the initiation of a buy-write position.

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices Hit with Heavy Call Volume

Advanced Micro Devices Hit with Heavy Call Volume originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We may soon see "one of the biggest advances in years in the technology that powers laptop and desktop computers," according to the Wall Street Journal, as chipmakers begin to merge microprocessors and graphics-processing units.

Microprocessors are described as "the calculating engines that run most PC software," while graphics-processing units "render images in video games and other programs." According to the report, Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are expected to make announcements about this move at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.

Continue reading AMD and Intel to Introduce Combination Chips

AMD and Intel to Introduce Combination Chips originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices Shares Jump on Earnings

Advanced Micro Devices Shares Jump on Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is scheduled to take its turn in the earnings confessional after Thursday's close, with analysts looking for a third-quarter profit of 6 cents per share on $1.67 billion in sales. AMD swallowed a loss of 18 cents per share in the year-ago quarter, leaving plenty of room for improvement.

The semiconductor company has a solid history on the earnings front, having surpassed analysts' per-share profit expectations in each of the past four quarters. However, traders don't seem convinced that AMD can manage another upside surprise.

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices Under Pressure Ahead of Q3 Earnings

Advanced Micro Devices Under Pressure Ahead of Q3 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has fared poorly so far this year. The one-year chart is a somewhat depressing figure to look at for long-term shareholders. But will things change going forward?

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices: Good Report, But Should You Stay Away?

Advanced Micro Devices: Good Report, But Should You Stay Away? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Intel Scores Big in Q2 -- Buy the Stock?

Intel Scores Big in Q2 -- Buy the Stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier this week, Intel (INTC) delivered an impressive quarter; I came away with positive thoughts about the chip maker's long-term prospects. Now, we have Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and its own three-month release to ponder. How was the price action after Q1 results were posted on Thursday following the conclusion of the normal session?

Lousy, at least at the time I was writing this. Shares of AMD tumbled 5% in extended trading. Quite disappointing, when you think about it. After all, the stock had hit a new 52-week high during intraday activities before the report. And the volume? You couldn't ask for a better number of shares in play. There was great conviction behind the buying activity.

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices: Buy or Avoid After Q1 Earnings?

Advanced Micro Devices: Buy or Avoid After Q1 Earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel (INTC), whose colleagues include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Texas Instruments (TXN), had a nice time during yesterday's after-hours trading. The company's stock was met with buying approval after the impressive first-quarter earnings report was posted. How should investors feel about the stock now?

Well, investors should feel pretty good, I believe. The price action has been encouraging. First, if you examine the one-year chart, you'll see that the stock has been trending higher. Admittedly, it's not the smoothest-looking uptrend, but overall, I think the chip maker is going to continue to climb higher. And the stock has certainly come a long way from the 52-week low.

Continue reading Intel: How Does the Stock Look After Stellar Earnings?

Intel: How Does the Stock Look After Stellar Earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel Corporation (INTC) and scrappy Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) are two tech companies that have been fighting in the microprocessor market for longer than many of us care to remember. Intel controls the majority of the PC processor market for consumer machines and business servers, but AMD always seems to be there to mop up market share with as much gusto as it can. Enter the latest battle originating from AMD's end: recruiting the red-hot Acer to power its servers with AMD chips.

Continue reading AMD Recruits Acer in Server Chip Battle with Intel

AMD Recruits Acer in Server Chip Battle with Intel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chip-maker Intel (INTC), whose colleagues include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Texas Instruments (TXN), issued fourth-quarter data yesterday after the bell. Shareholders must have loved the growth rates. Revenues increased 28% on a year-over-year basis. Adjusted net income on a dollar basis grew well over 200%. Adjusted per-share profit came in at 55 cents versus 15 cents in the comparable period.

As for expectations, Earnings.com says that the market was looking for 30 cents per share. Some coverage compared the 30-cent projection to the reported GAAP income number of 40 cents per share, instead of the non-GAAP number I mentioned above, which would make the earnings beat not as impressive. I usually deal with non-GAAP figures, but either way, Intel has gone above estimates in significant fashion.

Continue reading Intel's Impressive Fourth Quarter

Intel's Impressive Fourth Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Federal Reserve's first Beige Book report of the year is due out this week. The report is a compilation of anecdotal information on current economic conditions from each of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank districts. The data comes from interviews with business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources. The previous report, released in December, showed modest improvement in eight of the districts, while the October report confirmed that the economy was stabilizing after earlier declines.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: Fed's Beige Book; Alcoa, JPMorgan and Intel Earnings

The Week in Preview: Fed's Beige Book; Alcoa, JPMorgan and Intel Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel (INTC), the famous chip maker whose major competitors include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Microsoft (MSFT) and Texas Instruments (TXN), started the new year off on a great footing. According to Eric Buscemi's roundup Monday, the company received an upgrade from Baird which gave it a price target of $26. Intel closed on Monday at $20.88.

This should end up being a good call. When I covered Intel's third quarter earnings back in October, I noted the improvement in the fundamentals. I also mentioned the nice price action at the time, and suggested investors consider selling into the strength. The stock did retreat after that, but for those holding for the long term, it didn't much matter. The shares eventually rebounded and are currently not too far from their 52-week high that was made in reaction to the quarterly report.

Continue reading Investing in Intel: A Good Idea for 2010

Investing in Intel: A Good Idea for 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Monday morning, Intel (INTC) confirmed that it will delay the introduction of its stand-alone graphics chip, which is named Larrabee. The processor was supposed to be released in the 2009-2010 time frame, but this will not happen as the company has "fallen behind" on the work.

Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer would not give any reasons for the delay, but added that "our first Larrabee will not be launched as a standalone discrete graphics chip. ... Rather it will be used as a software development platform."

Continue reading Bad news for Intel is good news for its competitors

Bad news for Intel is good news for its competitors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) soared to a new annual high Thursday morning after the chipmaker settled its antitrust case against rival Intel (INTC). Under the terms of the agreement, Intel will shell out $1.25 billion to AMD, and will abide by a new set of rules for conducting business. The pact also includes a renewed cross-license agreement between the two chip titans.

In prepared comments, AMD CEO Dirk Meyer called the settlement a game-changer. "We are optimistic that it will usher a new era for our industry," he said. "We recognize that it will take time for people to understand how the operating conditions in the processor business have changed. But make no mistake -- they have changed."

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices rallies after settling Intel tiff

Advanced Micro Devices rallies after settling Intel tiff originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You've heard of the Monday blues, right? Monday is a depressing day, while Friday is supposed to be the best day of the week. Unfortunately, that's not the case with chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD). The stock closed down over 7% on extremely high volume.

According to Reuters coverage, AMD, which issued results yesterday after the bell, beat estimates on both the top and bottom lines. In fact, the bottom line was particularly impressive. AMD lost 18 cents per share. The belief was that the company would lose as much as 42 cents per share.

Continue reading Advanced Micro Devices sells off big today on Q3 data

Advanced Micro Devices sells off big today on Q3 data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The chip sector is pretty hot. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) reported a respectable quarter this week, and the stock is near a 52-week high. Also close to their highs of the year are Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) and Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD).

Well, you can add Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX) to the list. The company, an expert on programmable logic, reported an earnings-beating quarter yesterday after the bell, according to Reuters. Xilinx made 23 cents per share in Q2, a penny ahead of analyst expectations. Revenue likewise was slightly ahead of the projections.

Continue reading Xilinx comes in ahead of expectations in Q2 -- buy the stock?

Xilinx comes in ahead of expectations in Q2 -- buy the stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.