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Technology Stocks : Cymer (CYMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Bloxom who wrote (11842)	12/22/1997 10:31:00 PM
From: GREATMOOD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25960

To All: RJDJRRJDJR over at AOL contacted CYMER and requested that this be posted here. GM ************************************************************* Subject: Talked to CYMI today Date: Mon, Dec 22, 1997 20:51 EST From: RJDJRRJDJR Message-id: <19971223015100.UAA11919@ladder01.news.aol.com> Leslie Cole at CYMI returned my call today. Every time I talk with her I am more impressed. She is very smart, quick and had answers to my questions, that is, the ones she is allowed to answer. Number of CYMI employees- as of last week 820+. That is 100 hired since Oct 30, 1997. Jan 1, 1997 was 336, Oct 30 was 726. THEY ARE STILL HIRING, mostly tech and service people now. She said listings for hiring are on the web site. I think they are not hiring any more production people, but this is my perception, I failed to ask that specific question before the call ended. Business conditions-unchanged since 3rd quarter report as far as their customers go. Asian slowdown is a concern, of course. Outlook is they can sell practically all they can make--my words, not hers. Her words, nothing has changed as far as CYMI's outlook. I mentioned the Lehman analysis on AMAT and the Lehman concept that the Asian crisis might accelerate the technology conversion to .25 micron and below due to cost cutting. She responded instantly indicating a disbelief, however, immediately corrected herself and said that made sense to her. We discussed this concept. I mentioned it was hard to understand why CYMI would keep hiring if mgmt thought a slowdown during the next 1,2 or 3 quarters was possible. Obviously CYMI mgmt doesn't think a slow down would be THAT slow. I critized the Lehman report about retrofiting existing fabs at higher than previously estimated rates for .25 and below tech. and that the problem, as I understood it, with this concept, is the clean room requirements needed for retrofitting. It was her first thought that my critique was probably misplaced. Most fabs already operate in a class 1 condition (clean room) readily compatible with .25 and below tech. Older fabs would not be retrofit candidates but virtually any clean room operating at class 1 could be. Even though she had not even heard of the Lehman report on AMAT what she said basically mirrowed their comments. I got the impression employees are concerned about the Asian "slowdown", as she called it, but obviously CYMI mgmt. believes '98 appears to be strong for them or they are looking at much longer term or bigger picture, and they keep hiring. All in all, Cole sounded very bullish which, probably, she is supposed to do. Cole no longer is in IR. She is now in charge of corporate communications. She suggested all future IR questions be taken to the PR firm attention Anita Marie Hall, 310-788-2850. She called me back she said, because she remembered me and wanted to be sure I had received answers to my questions. CYMI intends that any shareholder who has a question gets an answer. Basically all I can say is I wish I could buy more at these levels. If someone would please post this to our friends on the SI thread I would appreciate it.