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.

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

To: DJBEINO who wrote (9224)	3/12/2001 6:23:37 AM
From: DJBEINO	Respond to of 9582

Taiwan Ratings/United Micro -2: Outlook Stable TAIPEI (Dow Jones)--Two unsecured bonds to be issued by United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) were rated "twAA" reflecting the Taiwanese chipmaker's above-average market position, said Taiwan Ratings Corp. Monday. The ratings agency, which is half owned by Standard & Poor's Corp., also affirmed its "twAA" issuer credit rating on UMC. The outlook for the company is stable, Taiwan Ratings said in a release. ++++++++++++ The bond ratings were for UMC's five-year, NT$7.5 billion senior unsecured corporate bond and a seven-year NT$7.5 billion senior unsecured corporate bond, which will be used for investment in a 12-inch wafer fabrication plant to be built in Singapore. The company's leading process technology and prudent financial policy, as well as its position as the second-largest pure-play foundry in the world, were cited as factors for the credit ratings affirmation, the agency said. Pure-play foundries make chips solely for other companies. The agency said it expects UMC "to be able to maintain adequate profitability and satisfactory credit protection measures," despite the global demand slowdown in the personal computer and communications sectors. UMC's internally generated cash flows are expected to be able to cover its capacity expansion in 2001, the agency said.

To: DJBEINO who wrote (9224)	3/12/2001 6:25:40 AM
From: DJBEINO	Respond to of 9582

Asia DRAM Report: Hyundai Rumors, Restocking Buoy Prices By Dermot Doherty OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES TAIPEI (Dow Jones)--Confusion swept through the market for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips over the past week as spot prices staged a surprise rally off recent historic lows. The spot price of a 64MB DRAM chip rebounded to US$2.20, compared with US$2.00 a week ago, while prices for 128MB DRAMs rose to US$4.20 from US$3.95 during the same period. Dealers grasped for explanations for the recovery, with some pointing to restocking of depleted inventories by some original equipment manufacturers (OEM) of PCs and others noting speculation that financial woes at Korean chip giant Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. (Q.HEL) were intensifying. "A lot of it has been about expectations," said one executive at a DRAM dealership in Taipei. But although the latter could herald a drastic cut in supply into the spot market and a spike in DRAM pricing, industry experts greeted the rumors with skepticism. "There are a lot of expectations that Hyundai will go under or shut down plants, but the only thing generating cash for them right now is chips," said Sam Hahn, semiconductor analyst at HSBC Securities in Seoul. "They're on a daily cash flow strain, so they need to maintain those chip sales." The Korean chip giant itself on Monday denied the cuts in DRAM production, following a report by Electronics Buyers' News Web site that vice president Fahard Tabrizi said the company is considering cuts in DRAM output. And over the weekend, creditor banks agreed to give Hyundai, which is set to change its name to Hynix Semiconductor Inc. later this month, and two other units of the ailing conglomerate an emergency financial aid package. HSBC's Hahn believes the recent turnaround in spot prices was sentiment-driven given Hyundai's troubles - not based on a pick-up in fundamentals. DRAM prices, he said, could slide again, perhaps falling to as low as US$1.50. "If there were signs of fundamentals improving, Intel Corp (Singapore: INTC.SI - news). wouldn't be coming out with revenue warnings," he noted. Some dealers also said Japanese semiconductor makers could reduce their stockpiles of DRAM chips before they close their books for the fiscal year at the end of March, further pressuring spot prices. While inventory in DRAM channels and at OEMs has fallen to low levels, it remains on the high side at chipmakers themselves, they said. Not all semiconductor analysts were so downbeat, though, with some arguing speculation about Hyundai's financial problems belied a pick-up in demand over the past week. Don Floyd, head of regional technology research at CLSA Emerging Markets in Taipei, pointed to greater activity in the spot market, PC makers restocking depleted inventories and a jump in contract demand over the past week as positive signs. "Some of the guys in the channels don't have inventory and you're seeing healthy motherboard shipments out of Taiwan," Floyd said. "So we are seeing pockets of strength." While demand in the U.S. remains weak, Taiwanese companies also have exposure to growing PC markets such as mainland China, Southeast Asia and Europe, he noted. Moreover, many players in the DRAM market are betting that spot prices have fallen to, or are close to, their bottom after having plunged during the second on worse-than-expected PC demand. "Everybody's playing a guessing game," Floyd said. "If you believe that prices can't go any lower, why not buy now?"

To: DJBEINO who wrote (9224)	3/13/2001 1:59:03 AM
From: DJBEINO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9582

UMC (2303) closed @ 53.00 + 0.50 vol 40,175,153 +++++++++ TAIWAN WEIGHTED closed @ 5610.40 +27.73 (+0.50%) Day's Range :5498.56 - 5646.86 ++++++++ Taiwan Mosel Denies Hyundai Plant Acquisition Report TAIPEI (Dow Jones)--Mosel Vitelic Inc. (Q.MVT) Tuesday denied a local media report that said the chipmaker was in talks with Korea's Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. (Q.HEL) to acquire one of the latter's chip plants. +++++++++++++ Taiwan Hot Stock: DRAM Makers Higher After Micron Gain TAIPEI (Dow Jones)--Shares of Taiwan's major dynamic random access memory chip makers were up early Tuesday after world bellwether DRAM company Micron Technology Inc. (MU) bucked the U.S. market's losing trend and ended 0.02% higher Monday, said analysts. Rising DRAM prices also encourage buying in these stocks, said analysts. +++++++++++ Taiwan Shrs End Mixed; Index Up On Suspected Govt Buying TAIPEI (Dow Jones)--Taiwan shares ended mixed Tuesday, with the main index higher on rising dynamic random access memory chip prices and suspected government buying, said analysts. +++++++= TSMC to Delay 12-Inch Wafer Plant If Demand Stays Low Taipei, March 13 (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the biggest contract chipmaker for companies such as Motorola Inc. and Broadcom Corp., may defer installing equipment in a factory to make 12-inch silicon wafers if demand stays at the current level. +++++++++++ Chartered to Raise $4 Billion Over Next Two Years Singapore, March 13 (Bloomberg) -- Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., which is building a $3.5 billion Singapore chip plant, said in a U.S. exchange filing the company and shareholders are looking to raise $4 billion over two years.

To: DJBEINO who wrote (9224)	3/14/2001 1:33:37 AM
From: DJBEINO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9582

UMC (2303) closed @ 54.00 + 1.00 vol 40,117,223 +++++++++ march 13 net purchase 1,991,000 shares ++++++++++= TAIWAN WEIGHTED closed @ 5658.21 +47.81 (+0.85%) Day's Range :5642.26 - 5703.52 ++++++++ HOLD IC foundries TSMC (2330 TT) and UMC (2303 TT) and wait for more concrete evidence of recovery in the global semiconductor industry. BUY DRAM shares Winbond (2344 TT) and Nanya Technology (2408 TT) as the PC market is gradually picking up. Robert Tsao, chairman of UMC, said that UMC might report a greater than 20% qoq decrease in sales, and net profits will fare even worse. NSC expects UMC to report NT$23bn in sales in 1Q01, up 19% yoy but down 28% qoq. Net profits will reach NT$11.7bn, up 55% yoy but down 30% qoq. In our opinion, weak demand for IC foundry capacity has now become conventional wisdom among investors; thus, we don't suggest investors to sell IC shares upon bad sales numbers or profits. ++++++++++++++ Taiwan's Acer Group, UMC Group Announce Merger of Subsidiaries TAIPEI, March 13 (AFP) - Taiwan's computer giant Acer Group and leading semiconductor firm United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) announced Tuesday a merger of their subsidiaries manufacturing thin film display. Acer Display Technology Inc. and Unipac Optoelectronics Corp., a unit of UMC, will merge to become the world's second largest TFT-LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display) maker after Samsung Electronics, they said in a statement.