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Technology Stocks : Alliance Semiconductor -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (8911)	11/8/2000 1:09:30 AM
From: DJBEINO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9582

UMC (2303) closed @ 67.00 +1.50 vol 188,181,781 most active ++++++++++= Nov 7 net purchase 3,766m shares +++++++++ TAIWAN WEIGHTED closed @ 6067.94 +190.17 (+3.24%) Day's Range :5889.01 - 6164.62 ++++++++ ``Valuations are quite good,'' said James Liu, who helps manage $248 million in Taiwan equities at ING CHB Securities Investment & Trust Ltd. in Taipei. ``If you consider the stock market over the last two to three weeks investors are coming back into the market. We like TSMC and UMC.'' While the key index fell a fifth since September, it's up 9 percent this month. Investors also said political concerns are already factored into share prices. A telephone survey this week shows support for impeachment of President Chen Shui-bian appears to be limited to opposition politicians. About 66 percent of Taiwan people said they disagreed with plans to impeach Chen while 22 percent supported the removal effort. ``The chance for the opposition to pass impeachment laws against President Chen is disappearing,'' said John Lin, who manages at $130 million National Investment Trust Ltd. ++++++ Taiwan Shrs End +3.2% On Continued MSCI Buying Momentum

To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (8911)	11/8/2000 1:30:14 AM
From: DJBEINO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9582

Does it look like the speculation that semiconductor sales are slowing is unwarranted? Do you have a favorite chip stock? If we're not at the peak of the chip cycle yet, it's definitely coming soon. That's not to say that these companies still don't have a few more quarters of posting great year-over-year growth. It's just a question of how long that the market will favor these stocks. My favorite semiconductor stock out there is Alliance Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ALSC - Quotes, News, Boards). At $20 a share, the stock is worth $25 to $35 from its investments alone, and has its own profitable business on top of that. When Wall Street wakes up to this great discount, the shares could definitely move higher. individualinvestor.com

To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (8911)	11/9/2000 6:35:53 AM
From: DJBEINO	Respond to of 9582

Sony to Give PS2 Microchip Orders to Taiwan's TSMC, UMC November 9, 2000 (TAIPEI) -- Sony Corp. has decided to place microchip orders for PlayStation2, MP3 players and cellular phones with Taiwan's wafer fabrication giants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC). This will be the first time that Sony will place such orders for IC production with Taiwan-based manufacturers, an observer said. The arrival of Sony's chairman on Nov. 7 is expected to bring another purchase deal in Taiwan. According to a well-informed source, Sony intends to double its procurement of information products in Taiwan from NT$15 billion to NT$30 billion in the coming year. (NT$32.13 = US$1) Sony's outsourcing orders mainly focus on Taiwan's wafer foundry industry. However, the Japanese electronics company intends to seek more supplies from Taiwan's makers of TFT-LCDs, PDAs, phone handsets and IA devices in the coming year. A well-placed source said that Sony had engaged in intensive negotiations with Taiwan's TSMC, UMC and ASE for the feasibility of outsourcing its high-profit-margin system on a chip (SOC) technology. Sony hopes that such a move can be helpful to boost the shipments of the PS2. Sony's PS2 went on sale in the global market, but limited supplies meant that many customers are still empty handed. Sony was forced to cut by 50 percent its PS2 shipments in October due to a shortage of key components. This is bad news for the leading Japanese maker of video games, although it will bring significant benefits to Taiwan-based manufacturers, a market observer said. Apparently, Sony realized that its insistence on producing all parts needed for the PS2 by itself, also has created heavy internal pressures ++++++++ UMC revenue surged 272% to NT$10.71 billion in October Taipei, Nov. 8, 2000 (CENS)--United Microelectronics Corp. said Wednesday its monthly revenue reached a record high of NT$10.71 billion in October, up 272.4% from the same period last year. For the first 10 months of the year, UMC's aggregate revenue amounted to NT$83.95 billion, also a hefty increase of 256.1% from a year earlier, the chipmaker said in a press release. The company earlier predicted that its revenue for the fourth quarter should be able to top NT$32.3 billion, compared to NT$29.48 billion recorded in the previous quarter. The firm also projected its total revenue this year will reach NT$105.5 billion with a pretax profit of NT$50 billion, or NT$4.50 a share. UMC said its total production will reach 3.1 million eight-inch equivalent wafers in 2001, up from this year's projected output of 2.4 million units. Wafers made with the advanced 0.18 and 0.25-micron manufacturing technology will account for 60% of its output next year.

To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (8911)	11/9/2000 6:38:36 AM
From: DJBEINO	Respond to of 9582

Chip Makers Expand Non-Memory Business Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) is to invest US$22.3 million by 2003 to develop non-memory semiconductor technologies and train engineers. The Korean government plans to secure system IC-based technologies with a US$238 million investment in the non-memory sector including microprocessor core technologies. It will also invest US$54 million for training co-operation with IDEC (IC Design Education Center). Top domestic semiconductor manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Electronics and Anam Semiconductor are strengthening non-memory business to reduce the risk in the current memory-concentrated production structure. Samsung, within its 21st Semiconductor Business Vision, expects revenue of non-memory sector to shift from US$1.7 billion this year to US$5 billion a year by 2005 with a big investment in system IC business. In conjunction with this, Samsung said, it will invest US$5.12 billion in the production line 10 that it started in August. Samsung will also start construction of the new production line 11 and the first dedicated production line for non-memory semiconductor chips. Hyundai's Long-Term Business Vision and Strategy dictates a major investment in five non-memory businesses such as LCD (liquid crystal display), driver chips and chips for digital electric home appliances as well as IT equipment. By strengthening its foundry business, the company intends to be the third-biggest foundry company in the world within three years due to soaring demand in the industry. Anam Semiconductor turned into a foundry company after successfully abandoning the work-out in late July, which included selling its packaging business unit. To meet the increasing demand, the company has been expanding the production in its Fab 1 from 20,000 wafers (8-inch) a month early this year to 30,000 units a month by the end of the year. Another new Fab establishment plan is now being considered, Anam said. With the expansion of non-memory business from domestic manufacturers, the Korean semiconductor structure is expected to improve. DRAM business is currently taking almost 74% in the Korean semiconductor industry. Investment Grows Lately, in spite of diverse disputes on semiconductor business, most experts forecast that Korea's semiconductor business will achieve steady growth by 2002. According to Dataquest, a market research company, DRAM business is the leading export of Korea's semiconductor industry and will continue to grow over the next three years due to demand increase and supply shortage. IDC forecasts that the foundry business market will finally reach US$36.3 billion in 2004 with 36% AAGR (average annual growth rate). Motorola plans to outsource 50% of its entire production with Toshiba ready to outsource 20-30% of its production in the near future. Judging from the projected forecast, domestic manufacturers are moving quickly to foundry business to meet the increasing demand, industry experts said. The Korean government is planning diverse policies for strengthening the country's semiconductor industry. To establish an industrial base for efficient non-memory chip design, it is working on a database and e-commerce system for semiconductor design technology IP (intellectual property). For this IPDB establishment business, KETI (Korea Electronics Technology Institute) will invest US$3.7 million. The government will invest US$3.4 million. nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com