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 : Semi Equipment Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Donald Wennerstrom who wrote (31450)	7/13/2006 2:52:12 PM
From: Donald Wennerstrom	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 95647

US states to sue chipmakers over price-fix charges July 13, 2006 13:16:37 (ET) SAN FRANCISCO, July 13 (Reuters) - Thirty-four U.S. states will sue seven computer memory chip makers on Friday, including Micron Technology Inc. (MU,Trade) and Infineon Technologies AG ((IFXGn.DE)), over charges that they conspired to rig the U.S. market to keep prices artificially high. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said on Thursday 33 other states would join a lawsuit alleging the chip makers violated state and federal antitrust laws during a conspiracy from 1998 through June 2002 to fix prices for dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, chips. The action by U.S. state officials follows a U.S. Justice Department probe launched in 2002 that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in fines levied against Samsung, Hynix, Infineon, Elpida and other chipmakers. The federal investigation followed a sharp plunge in the prices for memory chips used in computers and other electronics, which forced a wave of industry consolidation and pushed several chip makers near bankruptcy. The latest complaint, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges the companies with fixing DRAM chip prices, artificially restraining supply and rigging bids for contracts, Lockyer said in a statement. The lawsuit will seek to recoup damages Lockyer's office estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars nationwide. Lockyer said he was one of the leaders of the lawsuit because much of the alleged illegal conduct took place in California, home to Silicon Valley, where many of the chip makers have operations. The lawsuit names many of the world's top-ranked memory chip makers including South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc. ((005930.KS)); Taiwan's Mosel Vitelic ((2342.TW)) and Nanya Technology Corp. ((2408.TW)); Japan's Elpida Memory Inc., a joint venture of Hitachi Ltd. ((6501.T)) and NEC Corp. ((6701.T)); and NEC Electronics Corp.'s ((6723.T)) NEC Electronics America. Micron is based in Boise, Idaho, and Infineon is headquartered in Germany. The suit does not name South Korea's Samsung Electronics ((000660.KS)), the world's leading memory chip maker, because California has entered into an agreement with the company in order to reach a potential settlement, said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for the attorney general.

To: Donald Wennerstrom who wrote (31450)	7/13/2006 3:01:59 PM
From: sixty2nds	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 95647

Isn't this timely with INTC testing gap support and maybe retesting the June bottom. 09:05 INTC Intel: More Restructuring Details Expected Later Today - Amtech (17.88 ) Amtech says they have learned that INTC may be calling a press conference later today to announce the results of the co's 'top to bottom' review. They believe investors are looking for workforce reductions in the range of 10,000 to 15,000, as the co streamlines research and development with a PC-centric focus. They believe the stock will react more favorably to reductions towards the top end of the rumored range.