*OT* Andy, by OT stocks I simply mean "off topic," that is, stocks other than LUFK. (I'm resolving to not continue flooding this thread with my OT musings much longer. <grin>)
I agree with your near term STBI assessment, and that's why I'm not in the stock at the moment, despite its bargain status. I esp agree about Matrox being the biggest near-term threat. Their reputation and OEM relationships are top-notch, and I predict that their new G200 based line to come will be a runaway smash success. Not sure when they'll ship 'em, tho--that will be key. If STBI really is shipping the new Riva board in quantity, they may steal Matrox's thunder and sew up a couple of key OEM bids.
The first generation riva boards are dead as profit generators, I think. Matrox and DIMD others are determined not to loose in pricing
wars, too--I was surprised to see how much the Mellenium II boards dropped in price lately. What a cutthroat industry.
I think that if STBI executes really well over the next six months, they'll do just fine--provided that the their competition's cost cutting doesn't get suicidal. They are the lowest cost and most independent of the graphics board makers, at a time when cost is key and technology leadership changes monthly. They also could be a takeover target, especially at these valuations--a big box maker could get a great graphics and peripheral manufacturing facility on the cheap. Yet the visibility on this stock is so low now that I can see why many are dumping.
Haven't heard of ZRAN--what do they do?
Regards,
Dave |
