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Technology Stocks : Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates -- VSEA -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: robert b furman who wrote (1726)	8/11/2005 3:50:41 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1929

Varian Shares Gain 4 Percent on Upgrade Thursday August 11, 3:42 pm ET Shares of Varian Semiconductor Rise on Prospects in Japanese, High Current Markets NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. advanced more than 4 percent Thursday after a JP Morgan analyst upgraded the stock on the company's prospects in Japan and in the high current chip market. Varian shares gained $1.89, or 4.4 percent, to $43.29 in earlier trading on the Nasdaq. The stock, which traded as low as $25.61 a year ago and hit a 52-week high of $44.20 in July, is up about 12 percent since the start of the year. Shares recently gained $1.48, or 3.6 percent, to $42.88 in afternoon trading. Despite the company's flat third-quarter earnings and lukewarm fourth-quarter forecast, JP Morgan analyst Jay Deahna called the stock "a top pick," and upgraded it to "Overweight" from "Neutral," citing Varian's prospects in Japan and in the high current market. The brokerage also raised its fiscal 2006 earnings estimate to $2.50 from a previous view of $2.40. Wall Street analysts have pegged the company to earn a more moderate $2.07, according to Thomson Financial poll. Varian has made headway in Japan, where its market share has historically been near zero, Deahna said. Japanese chipmakers are increasingly adopting a single wafer platform -- Varian's forte -- and Chief Executive Gary Dickerson has been leveraging his experience in Japan to win new deals there, such as the one earlier this month with Hiroshima, Japan-based Elpida Memory Inc. "Elpida is the first big win in Japan and we expect additional wins in the region to be announced in the second half of 2005," he said. On another front, Varian's single wafer platform has long been successful with medium-current chips but lagged in the high-current market where other technologies were more prevalent, the analyst said. However, manufacturing issues related to the other technologies are cropping up. "It seems the high-current market has come to Varian," Deahna said, noting that Varian's single-wafer platform should best other chipmakers who are just beginning to look at single wafers for the high-current market. A company spokesperson could not be reached. In July, the company reported third-quarter net income of $19.3 million, flat with a year ago. Per share results fell to 51 cents from 52 cents per share. Revenue rose 14 percent to $166.7 million from $146.1 million last year, but gross margins declined to 42.3 percent from 45.8 percent a year earlier. Varian also forecast fourth-quarter earnings per share of 29 cents to 37 cents and projected revenue in a range of $138 million to $148 million. Analysts currently expect a profit of 35 cents per share on revenue of $145.6 million. Elsewhere in the sector, shares of rivals Axcelis Technologies Inc. rose 16 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $6.16, and shares of Applied Materials Inc. gained 36 cents, or 2 percent, to $17.76 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq.

To: robert b furman who wrote (1726)	10/27/2005 5:00:32 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1929

Varian Semiconductor's Single Wafer High Current Ion Implanter Chosen as Tool of Record at Major North American Semiconductor Manufacturer Thursday October 27, 4:15 pm ET GLOUCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2005--Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSEA - News) announced today that its VIISta single wafer high current tools have been chosen as the tool of record at a major North American logic semiconductor manufacturer. "After a thorough review of all competitive products, this customer chose the VIISta single wafer high current tools based on a number of factors," said Gary Dickerson, Varian Semiconductor's chief executive officer. Dickerson continued, "Best device performance, high productivity and low particle contamination were all key reasons for this customer to select the VIISta high current products as their tool of record for 90nm and 65nm production and 45nm device development. These key architectural advantages are critical to semiconductor manufacturers to meet their future process development needs." The global shift to single wafer ion implanters is driven by both the sensitivity of advanced devices to contamination and the requirement for precise implant angle accuracy. The VIISta single wafer high current ion implanters are the only systems featuring a dual magnet ribbon beam architecture that provides the highest productivity and lowest contamination levels in the industry. In addition, the VIISta high current tools' unique closed-loop Varian Positioning System (VPS(TM)) offers interlockable angle control for true zero degree applications. These features, combined with repeatable, patented beam steering control, assure the precise dopant placement required in sub-65nm devices. The VIISta high current tools are a key part of the VIISta suite of ion implanters - the only production proven single wafer platform solution for all implant segments, with over 350 systems in production worldwide. About Varian Semiconductor Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. is the leading producer of ion implantation equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors. The Company is headquartered in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and operates worldwide. Varian Semiconductor maintains a web site at www.vsea.com. The information contained in the Company's web site is not incorporated by reference into this release, and the web site address is included in this release as an inactive textual reference only. Note: This release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, the statements concerning the Company's performance, market share and technology leadership, technological capabilities and benefits are forward-looking statements and any statements using the terms "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. There are a number of important risks and factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements. These include, among others, volatility in the semiconductor equipment industry; economic conditions in general and as they affect the Company's customers; significant fluctuations in the Company's quarterly operating results; the impact of rapid technological change; the Company's dependence on the development and introduction of new products; the Company's concentration on ion implantation systems and related products; concentration in the Company's customer base and lengthy sales cycles; the highly competitive market in which the Company competes; risks of international sales; foreign currency risks; and general economic conditions; and other factors identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cannot guarantee any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievement. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.