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Technology Stocks : Electro Scientific??? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mark Oliver who wrote (418)	7/22/1998 1:35:00 AM
From: vinh pham	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 723

The yield repair products can handle small geometry down to .18 microns. Capacitor market is down. Looks like the CFT group is doing well. With all the companies turning to complex hybrid circuits that command high price, CFT will do good business. ESIO with their varieties of products will hold up well in this down turn, just like any other down turn. With the stock price under 28, it is a bargain. As the laser driller becomes more widely accepted, that business unit will also take off. People are buying the blue chips of the semi equip ( AMAT, KLAC, NVLS, etc.. ) and ignoring the ESIOs. Financially, ESIO is in a good shape with 38 millions or over $3 per share in cash. It will be tough going especially the outlook for the next 2 quarters are so gloomy. I sure hope they used that cash and the stocks to acquire a sizeable company . With so many company with depressed stock prices, this may not be a bad time for ESIO to be shopping. Later, Vinh

To: Mark Oliver who wrote (418)	7/29/1998 2:23:00 PM
From: vinh pham	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 723

Electro Scientific sees opportunity By Tom Murphy, CBS MarketWatch Last Update: 1:26 PM ET Jul 29, 1998 Also see NewsWatch SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Since Electro Scientific Industries Inc. posted disappointing earnings earlier this month and warned about future sales, its stock has been dangling near a 52-week low. No surprise there. On Wednesday, however, the Portland, Ore.-based chip equipment maker (ESIO) said it's seeing some signs of hope. Specifically, its laser repair division, whose orders are off a third from last fall's high amid a slumping market for dynamic random-access memory chips, is seeing new revenue from embedded-memory chips. Translating from geek-speak, that means Electro Sci is teaching its old-dog machines new tricks that could make them popular with a fast-growing segment of technology -- the demand for chips used in such devices as cell phones and hand-held PCs. What's more, the company claims an 81 percent market share in the laser repair arena, which is now "holding up very well," according to Joe Reinhart, vice president for business development. "We are seeing an increasing opportunity in embedded memory systems," he said. To be sure, some good news is welcome. The laser repair units accounted for sales of $26.7 million in fiscal 1998, ended in May, down from $28.4 million in the prior year. Overall company sales, however, rose to $229.6 million from $180.0 million the year before. Electro Sci earnings of 54 cents a share in its fourth quarter were 17 percent below expectations, and of the five analysts who track the company, two now rate it a "hold." The remaining three have it ranked as a "buy," according to Zacks Investment Research. The company is undertaking a cost-cutting effort to bring earnings into line with reality,ÿ but Reinhart said those will be "probably not dramatic" because the company is sitting on $39 million in cash and doesn't want to sacrifice the infrastructure it has carefully built up over the past several years as it grew through acquisition and an expanding market. After his presentation, Reinhart acknowledged his company's visibility is still limited. But he pointed out it is well-positioned to rebound once the market improves thanks to a diverse product line that also includes its mainstay capacitor production and yield-improvement products. Shares inched up 1/8 to 25 1/4 after his remarks, but have a long way to go before returning to their year's high of $64.ÿÿ ÿ