Intel Corporation (INTC) is a stock that looks cheap. But the one-year chart isn't so encouraging for investors. In August, I wrote a piece that was, at best, extremely hesitant on the short-term prospects for the equity. Long-term, I'm certainly more bullish; how can you not be on a business like Intel, right?

The shares closed today's regular session at $19.76, which represented a gain of about 1%. The 52-week low for the stock is $17.60, while the 52-week high is $24.37. I'd say that places the market more on the bearish side of the aisle. But the company just reported earnings for the third quarter. What do they tell us about the situation?

Continue reading Intel Reports Q3 Results

Intel Reports Q3 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Texas Instruments (TXN), whose colleagues include Intel (INTC) and Qualcomm (QCOM), is one of those stocks I've been afraid to buy, but probably shouldn't be. When I discussed the chipmaker's fourth quarter, I was reluctant to issue a bullish call, even though I enjoyed the fundamental aspect to the story. Not long after that, the stock rose a few bucks.

I was looking for a margin of safety, but I guess it was already built into the shares. The one-year chart is looking mostly good. It's a little meandering, perhaps, but I guess that means you can take advantage of the dips.

Continue reading Texas Instruments Down After Q1 Report

Texas Instruments Down After Q1 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:40:00 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.

That was certainly a large gain in profit. Now, let's check out what the analysts were thinking. According to Reuters, Wall Street was projecting only 18 cents per share. Management scores again.

Continue reading National Semiconductor's Q3 Above Estimates, but Stock Is Indifferent

National Semiconductor's Q3 Above Estimates, but Stock Is Indifferent originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Texas Instruments (TXN), a chipmaker whose related companies include Intel (INTC) and Qualcomm (QCOM), reported results for the fourth quarter on Monday after the bell. Profit growth was incredible, but it's difficult to call the stock a buy at this time, at least based on price action.

Revenues increased a whopping 27%. Earnings came in at 52 cents per share. That was more than 100% better than the adjusted 21 cents per share earned in Q4 2008. Operational cash flow went down 10%, but overall, you've got to call this a much improved quarter (a note on cash flow: it pretty much covered capital expenditures, dividends, and share repurchases, which is good news).

Continue reading Texas Instruments Books Bigger Profit in Q4, but Is It a Buy?

Texas Instruments Books Bigger Profit in Q4, but Is It a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:30:00 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.

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.

True entrepreneurs will go to any length to get their companies off the ground. And, they're known for accepting the consequences of the risks they take. Some businesses never make it to launch, never bring in a dime, never lead to that killer IPO. In even rarer cases, these adventures can put two people behind the defendants' table on charges of corporate espionage. Lan Lee, an American, and Yuefei Ge, a Chinese citizen, allegedly swiped computer chip blueprints and tried to gain Chinese government support for a startup using these illicit goods. Now, they could face up to 65 years on charges of corporate espionage.

Continue reading Economic espionage comes to trial, first time with a jury

Economic espionage comes to trial, first time with a jury originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:40:00 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.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) is getting ready to release third-quarter numbers. They will be divulged on Tuesday, October 13, after the bell. What should investors expect?

Maybe some good stuff. At least, you might get that idea by looking at this corporate press release from the latter part of August. The document has the kind of title that shareholders love. The kind that talks about raised guidance for both revenue and gross margin. As we all know, Intel really watches the gross margin, so whenever there is good news on that front, it most certainly is a welcome sight.

Continue reading Should investors look forward to Intel's Q3?

Should investors look forward to Intel's Q3? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some Intel (INTC) sales tactics exposed

Some Intel (INTC) sales tactics exposed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late yesterday, Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) reported a lower second-quarter profit, thanks to a large drop in sales amid struggles throughout the chip sector. That said, the company did vault higher after its announcement, thanks to its sales forecast.

The chipmaker reported second-quarter earnings of nine cents per share, down from 11 cents per share a year ago. Adjusted quarterly income checked in at 18 cents per share. Quarterly revenue slipped to $640.6 million, which was down from $842.6 million in the second quarter a year ago. Expectations called for earnings of 13 cents per share on revenue of $615 million.

Continue reading Marvell Technology jumps after its earnings report and forecast

Marvell Technology jumps after its earnings report and forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Analog Devices (ADI) falls on lower profit and weaker margins

Analog Devices (ADI) falls on lower profit and weaker margins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Marvell Technology forecasts a solid second quarter

Marvell Technology forecasts a solid second quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 May 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX), a tech entity involved in programmable logic and a colleague of companies like Actel (NASDAQ: ACTL) and Altera (NASDAQ: ALTR), issued a business update on Tuesday. Believe it or not, it contained some good news. How about that for a change? I'm sure shareholders were pleased.

According to this news item, Xilinx believes that its revenue picture should be better than previously thought. Sales should drop by somewhere between 13% and 18% for the March quarter on a sequential basis. Management had originally believed that they'd have to report a sequential revenue drop between 15% and 25%. So, yes, there will still be a decline, but hey, if it's less than expected, you gotta take that. It's too bad, though, that the gross margin range wasn't raised. It should still fall between 61% and 63%. If management had raised that as well, then I bet the stock would have closed even higher on the news. It rose almost 4% on better-than-average volume yesterday.

Continue reading Xilinx delivers improved sales guidance -- is the company a buy?

Xilinx delivers improved sales guidance -- is the company a buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), the arch competitor of fellow chip maker Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), continues to be nothing more than a short-sale candidate. Its Q4 was horrible. Net sales nosedived 33% on a year-over-year basis, coming in at roughly $1.2 billion. On a GAAP basis, the net loss from continuing operations was $2.32 per diluted share versus $2.24 per diluted share in Q4 2007. According to this source, on an adjusted basis (which excludes write-downs related to the ATI transaction), the loss was $0.69 per share, and that missed Wall Street's expectations by a wide amount. The call was for a loss of $0.54 per share.

AMD is in a terrible state. Sure, it's not necessarily all management's fault. What can they do about the sinking economy? Not much. Demand is down and everyone is going to have to live with it. The press release talks about lack of visibility and concentration on restructuring. That translates to "we're doing everything we can just to make it through the tough times." Gross margins, both on a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis, have been challenged. Considering the bad news recently reported by both Intel and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), it's not a stretch to say that shares of AMD are heading lower.

Although I alluded to shorting AMD at the top of this piece, I should point out that shorting is a risky proposition and not for everyone. My main point in saying this is that I believe the situation is so dark right now in this sector of tech that 52-week lows may certainly be retested. And then there is the price war between AMD and Intel that this article mentions. That's an important issue to consider when thinking about both of those companies. The worst of times brings out the fiercest of competitive natures. Since AMD's brand is arguably not as strong as the Intel name, one can see why it would be best to avoid AMD's stock at all costs.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Avoid Advanced Micro Devices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The semiconductor equipment maker now expects first-quarter earnings in a range between 15 cents and 17 cents per share, down from its previous range of 21 to 24 cents. Quarterly revenues are expected to be at the low end of the previously communicated range of $315 million and $325 million. Analysts were waiting for Novellus Systems show quarterly earnings of 23 cents a share on sales of $319.4 million, according to Reuters Estimates.

Continue reading Novellus Systems (NVLS) cuts earnings outlook on spending slowdown

Novellus Systems (NVLS) cuts earnings outlook on spending slowdown originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) does not seem to be satisfied with the beating it's giving AMD (NYSE:AMD). It wants to bring out an even larger line of chips aimed straight at its rival.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the chip company "gave new details of plans to introduce chips that pack four, six, eight or more electronic brains on a piece of silicon to boost calculating performance."

AMD has a new quad-core chip called Barcelona, and many of the company's plans to recover market share are based on the product.

Intel's new products will make PCs run much faster and will also give its a stronger case in the server market. Some of the new chips are particularly good at running graphics, a market that AMD's ATI unit has done well in over the years. The other company with a large foothold in that industry is Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).

All of the chip companies have been hurt over the last six months based on the assumption that a slowdown in the economy will cut into PC sales growth. But, Intel is off less than its rivals. Its stock is down less than 20% over the period while AMD and Nvidia are both off more than 40%.

Intel can weather a tough market. It has the balance sheet and gross margins to hold on and spend huge sums on the R&D effort which is behind its newest products. AMD, carrying $5 billion in debt and with no profits, faces real problems keeping up.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Intel (INTC) ups the ante in chip market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.