Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ian@SI who wrote (42446)	2/21/2001 1:27:36 PM
From: Sam Citron	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 70976

What indicators for this industry would you consider to be "forward looking"?

To: Ian@SI who wrote (42446)	2/21/2001 1:40:42 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Taiwan's DRAM makers expect losses this quarter By Faith Hung EBN (02/21/01 08:43 a.m. PST) HSINCHU, Taiwan -- Taiwan's DRAM companies are expecting to suffer losses in the first quarter as memory prices extend their slides. Winbond Electronics Corp., where Toshiba Corp. outsources its DRAM manufacturing, and Mosel Vitelic Inc., said that they're likely to lose money in the March quarter. Also bleeding money is Nanya Technologies Inc., which licenses technology from IBM Corp., analysts said. These companies' pessimistic expectations come as sluggish demand for PCs drove the spot prices of 128 MB and 64 MB DRAM below their manufacturing costs, some analysts said. What's worse, more pricing pressure will follow since leading players such as Samsung Electronics, Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. and rivals in Japan tend to clear inventories around March. "Most DRAM companies in the world will post losses in the first quarter, given the difficult market situation," said Thomas Chang, a vice president of Hsinchu-based Mosel. "Unfortunately, weíre one of them." He said that Mosel's inventories now stand at three and a half weeks. Mosel and Winbond forecast their operating losses in that period would hit millions of dollars. The 128 MB DRAM was recently sold at $4 - $4.30 each, and the mainstream 64 MB chips at $2.1 - $2.5 on the spot market, analysts said. The prices are not enough to cover Taiwan's production costs, which stand at $4.5 and $2.5, respectively, they said. With no immediate signs of a recovery, Mosel and Winbond are speeding up to diversify their products. "We're increasing our production of non-DRAM, such as LCD driver IC. We're also planning to make flash memory starting next year," said Hander Chang, spokesman of Winbond. Winbond, Mosel, Nanya and others on the island represent about one-tenth of the world's DRAM supply, analysts said. Subject 50522

To: Ian@SI who wrote (42446)	2/21/2001 2:52:50 PM
From: Roads End	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Ian, Can you post something to support this? The rest of the economy seems to be unaware of it. TIA >>we've already seen a much better forward looking number in the Earnings conference calls this month and their forward looking guidance. <<

To: Ian@SI who wrote (42446)	2/22/2001 12:06:42 AM
From: advocatedevil	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Ian, Thanks for posting the I-Watch comments. It appears a majority of investors are in agreement thus far that whatever bad news there is out there is priced into AMAT already. If I had never looked at the price of AMAT since before their earnings report, but was instead only watching the NAZ and reading all the tech press, I would have never believed AMAT could have held up so well. The buyers bravely held their own again today, even in the face of a weaker than expected BTB. Amazing IMO. I'm not sure what to make of this action. I can understand there being a group of investors who are now buying sector leaders with the belief that we've bottomed here (in price), but how long can they hold the fort with companies across the board issuing cautionary statements every day? It seems either this news trend is going to have to stop very soon in order for the climb back to begin, or if it continues at this rate, the buyers will become exhausted all at once and the sellers will take the flag in a fast and bloody massacre. Every day is getting more interesting. AdvocateDevil