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Technology Stocks : Kulicke and Soffa -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SemiBull who wrote (5297)	6/19/2003 1:33:43 PM
From: TI2, TechInvestorToo	Respond to of 5482

.hhhmmmm....last I checked...KLIC was backend Message 19045697 Backend to lead IC-equipment recovery, analysts say Semiconductor Business News (06/19/03 11:52 a.m. EST) SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Any recovery in the semiconductor equipment industry this year is not expected to be led by the front-end fab-tool markets, but rather the backend, according to analysts. Gartner Inc., for example, believes that the semiconductor assembly and test industry will grow 20 percent in 2003 over 2002. In 2002, this industry hit $8.35 billion, up 18 percent over 2001. The growth was (and is) driven by the ongoing shift towards outsourcing in the IC-packing, assembly, and testing arenas. IC-packaging houses also see increased demand for higher-margin products, such as chip-scale packages, flip-chip, and system-in-packaging technologies. In the overall semiconductor-equipment market, however, Gartner is still rather bearish. The firm projects only 7 percent growth in the entire industry in 2003 over 2002. Others agree with the current trends. “We're seeing a lot of activity in the backend,” said Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research Inc., based in San Jose. The front-end fab-tool market has basically stalled, especially in lithography, he told SBN. Last month, VLSI Research projected the IC market will grow 9.3 percent to $131.8 billion in 2003 over 2002. The fab-tool market is expected to reach $31.3 billion in 2003, up 5.6 percent from 2002, according to Hutcheson (see May 16 story ). Indeed, the front-end tool market is sluggish. In a report issued by SG Cowen Securities Corp. this week, Applied Materials Inc., KLA-Tencor Inc., and Lam Research Corp. are expected to report flat results for their current quarters, which is in line with their previous forecasts. North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted a book-to-bill ratio of 0.89 for May, roughly flat from 0.90 in April, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) trade organization this week (see June 17 story ). The front-end equipment book-to-bill ratio was 0.83 in May, compared to 0.82 in April, according to SEMI. But the backend ratio was 1.16 in May verses 1.25 in April, according to SEMI. Forecasters at SEMI remain cautious about the market in general. “The prevailing semiconductor outlook over the past two years has been that the recovery is coming in the next six months,” said Lubab Sheet, research development director at SEMI, in an e-mail newsletter issued by the San Jose-based trade group. “Once again we are in an environment in which the conventional wisdom says the recovery will start in the next six months,” Sheet said. However, Sheet sees a silver lining in the chip-equipment forecasts. “Single-digit capital equipment growth is actually quite good compared to back-to-back years of double digit declines,” she said. “Many of these forecasts have been reduced from the initial rates predicted in January 2003 due to the war with Iraq, SARS and several other factors. Nonetheless, all anticipate modest to fairly strong growth for the capital equipment market in 2003, which is consistent with most semiconductor revenue forecasts,” Sheet said. There are other positive signs. Japanese IC makers “are starting to construct new fab facilities and increase capital spending,” she said. “Capacity utilization rates at Taiwan's leading foundries are on the rise and the outlook for the third quarter is 'cautiously optimistic,' ” according to the newsletter. “On the other hand, the April World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) suggest a stall in the semiconductor market, despite fairly strong first quarter (year-over-year) results. The problem remains declining average selling prices, which plunged 11 percent in April 2003 over March 2003, based on three-month averages,” the newsletter said.

To: SemiBull who wrote (5297)	7/9/2003 3:21:43 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5482

Kulicke & Soffa Announces a Volume Purchase Agreement With National Semiconductor Corp. Wednesday July 9, 3:12 pm ET WILLOW GROVE, PA--(MARKET WIRE)--Jul 9, 2003 -- Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (NasdaqNM:KLIC - News) today announced that the company has signed a volume purchase agreement (VPA) with National Semiconductor Corp. of Santa Clara, CA, (NYSE:NSM - News) for the purchase of Maxum wire bonders. The agreement defines an agreed price for the wire bonders which will be delivered to National's facilities in Singapore and Malaysia. In addition, the corporate VPA provides that K&S will be the exclusive supplier of wire bonders over the next 12-month time period. "Based on our current assessment, the K&S Maxum wire bonder and K&S process support is the most suitable for our needs. The Maxum wire bonder is a versatile platform that gives us manufacturing capability over a wide range of packages with the best combination of output and yield," said Wan Choong Hoe, general manager of National Semiconductor, Singapore. Jack Belani, Vice President of Marketing at K&S, stated, "This agreement with National Semiconductor begins a refreshed relationship between our two companies. It allows us to co-develop a rolling forecast and plan for wire bonding equipment requirements across all the NS factories. The result is a just-in-time supply of new equipment, without delays caused by normal price & availability negotiations. And of course, K&S is very proud to be selected as National Semiconductor's exclusive supplier for wire bonders. It is perhaps the highest award to receive from a customer." About National Semiconductor National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on analog-based semiconductor products, which include stand-alone devices and subsystems in the areas of power management, imaging, display drivers, audio, amplifiers and data conversion. The company targets key markets such as wireless, displays, PC and networking, and a broad range of portable applications. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.5 billion for its most recent fiscal year. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com. About Kulicke & Soffa Kulicke & Soffa (NasdaqNM:KLIC - News) is the world's leading supplier of wire bonding equipment in the semiconductor assembly market. K&S is the only assembly equipment supplier that also develops and manufactures the products that touch a semiconductor chip's wire bonding pad surfaces, starting with electrical testing and ending with specially formed wire interconnections that remain as a part of the chip's package. These products include: test probes; bonding wire; and capillaries, which provide an all-inclusive interconnect process when used with the company's wire bonding equipment. In addition, the company offers wafer dicing equipment and cutting blade solutions as well as Flip Chip wafer bumping services and technology. Chip scale and wafer level packaging solutions include Ultra CSP® technology. Test interconnect products include standard and vertical probe cards, ATE interface assemblies and ATE boards for wafer testing, as well as test sockets and contactors for all types of packages. Kulicke & Soffa's web site address is www.kns.com. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements which are found in various places throughout the press release. While these forward-looking statements represent our judgments and future expectations concerning the development of our business, a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors could cause actual developments and results to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to, those listed or discussed in Kulicke & Soffa Industries' 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K and: the risk of failure to successfully manage our operations; the risk that anticipated orders may not materialize or that orders received may be postponed or canceled, generally without charges; the risk that anticipated cost savings will not be achieved; the volatility in the demand for semiconductors and our products and services; acts of terrorism and violence; overall global economic conditions; risks, such as changes in trade regulations, currency fluctuations, political instability and war, associated with a substantial foreign customer and supplier base and substantial foreign manufacturing operations; potential instability in foreign capital markets; and other key factors that could adversely affect our businesses and financial performance contained in past and future filings and reports, including those with the SEC. Kulicke & Soffa Industries is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.