*AV*--Whoops, I forgot about the INTC news.
Patrick- These were real crummy FAXes but I only had 11 errors as a result of using the HP Scanjet 5p. The errors were "5 vs. $", "T vs I", "1 vs l", and ". vs ," with only one word botched with @#$@%&. Not bad, especially since the MS Word spellchecker picked each one up. Yeah for the Visoneer Paperport OCR software.
BTW-After more than a 6 point run up in ADI, guess who finally came out with a buy recommendation on ADI. Our friends at CS first Boston seem to be in love with this stock. Too bad they didn't position their clients into it when I thought it was attractive<GGG>. Wait, maybe they were the buyers yesterday and this morning. Maybe I should thank them for building inventory for subsequent sales to their clientele. They could be the reason behind my profits<GGG>. Never mind, they are geniuses in my book (eh, pocketbook that is)<GGG>. With MXIM trading near its 52 week high, it was almost a no brainer that ADI would move.
Other stories below
INTEL Breaks Ground on its FIRST 300MM Chip Development Plant
Business Editors/Computer Technology Writers
HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 1998--Intel Corporation today announced that it has begun construction on its first 300 millimeter advanced logic wafer fabrication facility in Hillsboro, Oregon.
It is here that Intel will first develop and manufacture complex computer chips on 12 inch Silicon wafers.
The new plant, part of a multiphase site development known as Ronler Acres, will feature a 120.000 square-foot "Class 1" clean room and will cost over $1.5 billion.
The new water fabrication facility will be the future home for Intel's Portland Technology Development operation, which develops the manufacturing recipes for future Intel chips. The plant will be used to develop technologies of the 0.13-micron generation and beyond and will eventually be converted into a volume manufacturing factory. (One micron is equal to 1/1.000,000th of a meter, 1/25,400th of an inch, or approximately 1/100th the thickness of a human hair.)
"This facility will help us maintain our leadership in the extremely competitive world of semiconductors," said Craig Barrett, Intel president and chief operating officer. "This project signifies Intel's continued investment in semiconductor chip development and manufacturing facilities as we prepare for the future."
Intel previously announced plans to build multiple manufacturing and development facilities at the Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro in 1994. The new facility is the second phase of the development and is scheduled to be completed in the year 2000.
Intel will spend approximately $2.8 billion on various research and development activities in 1998, Capital spending is expected to be approximately -$5.3 billion, up from $4.5 billion in 1997.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of personal computer, networking and communications products. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
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U.S. Computer Memory Makers Ask for Taiwan, Korea Tariffs
Washington, Feb. 18 (B) -- U.S. computer memory chipmakers said under-priced imports from Taiwan and Korea are forcing them out of the market, and they asked the U.S. government for protective tariffs.
The International Trade Commission held a hearing on the request and must determine within the next 45 days whether U.S. chipmakers have been injured by specific Taiwanese and Korean exporters.
If that is the case, the U.S. Commerce Department will then be able to impose tariffs on the companies. up to the amount they have been found to sell under U.S. fair market value.
The U.S. manufacturers said that since 1995. when Taiwan facilities began mass exporting the Static Random Access Memory Semiconductors, or SRAM computer chips, prices have plummeted more than 60 percent.
The companies said in testimony today the result has been a significant loss of sales that is limiting their research and development and capital spending.
"There's simply no reason for the prices we've been seeing other than the result of dumped products from Taiwan and Korea." said Eugene Cloud, vice president of marketing for Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc.
The SRAM market "requires a high level of investment to keep up with the technology," Cloud said. "Without it, we simply won't be able to stay in the game."
Micron petitioned the commerce department to investigate allegations of product dumping by the Asian companies in February 1997. Micron's SRAM chip shipment sales dropped to $137 million in 1996 from 9174 million in 1995, according to company statistics. The company is the 14th largest vendor of SRAM chips worldwide.
The ITC hearing followed a determination Friday by the Commerce Department that nine Korean or Taiwanese companies undersold their SRAM chips in the U.S.: Korea-based Hyundai Electronics Industries and LG Semicon Co.; and Taiwan-based Alliance Semiconductor Corp., Integrated Silicon Solutions, United Microelectronics Corp., Winbond Electronics Corp., Advanced Microelectronics Products Inc., Best Integrated Technology, and Texas Instruments-Acer Inc.
The Korean and Taiwanese companies sold the memory between 5 percent and 113 percent below U.S. cost, the department said.
The department found that Korean-based Samsung Electronics Co, sold its memory chips within the U.S. fair market price range.
If the ITC determines that U.S. companies are being injured by the imports, the Commerce Department will instruct the Customs Service to continue blocking sale of the imports at the low prices and to begin applying tariffs, except on the Samsung products.
Taiwan, Korean Response
Representatives for the affected Korean and Taiwanese companies said the price drop was a natural correction to 1995 oversupply, not anti-competitive practices.
"World wide supply and demand forces, not subject imports." caused the price drop, said economic consultant John Reilly, who testified on behalf of the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association.
Reilly said the 1995 crash was started by panic buying, and then massive unloading of Intel's Pentium microprocessor.
"Buyers unloaded, and prices crashed around the world," Reilly said.
Total worldwide shipments of SRAM chips fell to $3.697 billion in 1997 from $4.745 billion in 1996, according to independent electronics statistics firm InStat ..
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CFMT Conference Call Thursday February 26, 1998 at 5:15 PM EST |
