NEWS AFTER THE BELL: *** RFMD ***
Thursday January 10 4:45 PM ET
RF Micro Has New Pact with Big Handset Maker
ONtheMove: RFMD jumps as analyst calls inventory worries overblown - (ON24)
By Ben Klayman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - RF Micro Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:RFMD - news), which makes circuits for mobile telephones and other wireless systems, has begun shipments under a new contract with a large handset maker, the company's chief financial officer said on Thursday.
``You'll see us begin ramping a major handset win with a first-tier manufacturer in the March quarter,'' Dean Priddy told investors at a Needham & Co. conference in New York. ``In fact, we've already begun shipments with that customer.''
He did not identify the customer. RF Micro's largest customers are the two biggest wireless phone makers -- Finland's Nokia (news - web sites) (NOK1V.HE) (NYSE:NOK - news) and Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT - news).
In November, Merrill Lynch said RF Micro had won a contract for Siemens AG (news - web sites) (SIEGn.DE) of Germany's GPRS, or general packet radio service, wireless phones, and was awarded the power amplifier design contract for Motorola's upcoming 1xRTT phone that could represent a potential $24 million in 2002.
RF Micro's stock rose as much as 14 percent and closed up $2.15, or 12.6 percent, at $19.17 in trading on the Nasdaq.
Since the beginning of last year, RF Micro shares have slightly outperformed those of its peers in the Nasdaq 100 Index (^NDX - news).
Wachovia Securities analyst Mark Roberts said investors are infatuated with RF Micro. ``RFMD is a stock that people love to love, and they will use almost any news as a pretext to be positive,'' he said.
LIKE THE UNSTOPPABLE LAKERS
Merrill Lynch's Chris Danely said RF Micro is one of the few reasonably valued semiconductor stocks, and while it will experience short-term pain he likes the company's growth prospects for calendar-year 2002.
``These guys are like the Lakers of the wireless component sector. They're just unstoppable,'' he said, comparing RF Micro to the championship professional basketball squad in Los Angeles.
Priddy said Greensboro, North Carolina-based RF Micro also will announce contract wins with other handset makers over the next six months as it works to diversify its customer base.
RF Micro expects to continue increasing market share in its core power amplifier business, he added. It also expects global handset sales this year to rise by 10 percent to 20 percent.
Priddy said he is optimistic about prospects for RF Micro's near-term gross profit margins, which could rise as high as the low-40 percent range from 37 percent in the September quarter.
The company has a long-term target for gross margins of 48 percent to 50 percent. Priddy said the company is probably 12 months to 18 months away from achieving that goal, depending on the introduction of next-generation products now in development.
The wireless local area network (LAN) market will be a high-growth market over the next several years for RF Micro, he said. The company began shipping wireless LAN products in the December quarter.
RF Micro also expects to recognize revenues in the March quarter from global positioning system (GPS) products, and expects to introduce in the same quarter products developed to work with Bluetooth, a wireless connectivity technology for linking laptop computers, wireless phones and other devices.
Priddy reiterated that the company expects to post fiscal third-quarter revenues of $99 million to $103 million. He said last week that RF Micro expected earnings per share in the quarter, ended December, of 1 cent to 2 cents on those revenues.
He did not provide any forecasts for the March quarter.
RF Micro achieved profitability in its fiscal second quarter, ended in September, a quarter ahead of most analysts' expectations.
Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Michael Masdea, in a research note on Wednesday, said RF Micro could surpass his third-quarter expectations of revenues of $101.5 million and earnings of 2 cents a share.
He cut his March quarter estimates because of inventory concerns, but said RF Micro will outgrow the market due to its growing relationship with Nokia, new business with other large manufacturers, and growing market share.
Earlier Stories
RF Micro to Announce Big Contract in March Quarter (January 10) |
