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 : LTX Corp. (LTXX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Greg Thornton who wrote (1349)	8/12/1998 9:34:00 AM
From: Deadline2012	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2126

At current prices it appears to me that a majority buyout could be done for around $52.4M. This is based on a shares outstanding of approx. 35.334M, and a 49.5% current ownership by institutions. Pretty cheap, huh?

To: Greg Thornton who wrote (1349)	8/12/1998 2:39:00 PM
From: ATELifer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2126

Greg, Credence probably has one of the best SOC testers around and they are constantly evolving it. The latest offering, demonstrated at Semicon this year, is the Quartet One. This is a full-function consumer mixed-signal test system and is compatible with the DUO in software and interface hardware. They've made some significant changes in the timing architecture to achieve an uncompromised 200MHz test rate un-muxed with full format I/O. They now have 8 markers per pin, 175pS accuracy, and a full complement of very sophisticated and proven analog instruments that address the Audio, Video, Multimedia, Disk Drive, and Wireless markets. They've also added significant improvements in the testing of embedded memory as well. They've also added new vector memory capability up to 32M with new compressed pattern files, direct load, and hardware decompression to decrease the load times by orders of magnitude. A new suite of Software PowerTools perfectly suited for engineering debug and characterization come with new system. The major benefit of this new system is that it's completely compatible with the 500+ systems already installed around the world. This is a system targeted at the sweet spot of the future SOC world, where the vast majority of the devices will be. From a pincount standpoint, the Credence Quartet One and DUO are better positioned than the Catalyst. Another significant factor is that theses systems are available now and will address MUCH more of the marketplace than the Fusion systems will be able to address in the short-term. Remember, the first Fusions will have little or no mixed-signal capabilities until probably middle of 1999. Again, I believe that there won't be much of a market left for Fusion given it's very late arrival. Credence and Teradyne will have most of the market covered by the time it's real. As to Credence acquiring LTX, only at the right price point and $200M is not the right place to be. At $54M, this may look a little more attractive. We'll see how things work out. On another topic, I heard yesterday that LTX has closed their offices in Korea. I know this is a bad time in the industry, especially in Korea but LTX must really be in survival mode to close this down. Companies like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG may be down now but they're not out and when they come back LTX won't be a player. Another example of the short-sighted decisions made by LTX management. -AL