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Technology Stocks : Disk Drive Sector Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Mark Oliver who wrote (4429)9/12/1998 3:25:00 PM
From: Sam  Respond to of 9256
 
Mark,
I figured this story was much more likely with Samsung and Hyundai/Maxtor combining their disk drive units."
Their disk drive units are small potatoes compared with their semiconductor business. Also the oversupply in drives is nothing compared with DRAMs. Could be fixed pretty quickly if the current largest 6 players decide to fix it; that is, if they decide that, at this time at least, gaining market share should take a back seat to more robust cash flow and profits. Which I can't believe they (meaning the major Asian players here, Fujitsu, Hyundai and Samsung) haven't decided at this point. Each one of those three companies is having some pretty severe problems in most of their business, plagued with (what a surprise!) oversuppy and falling (and sometimes plunging) prices. Fujitsu announced earlier in the summer a capacity increase; one still has to wonder if they are going to play chicken with it, and keep up their aggressive pricing to peddle those drives, or perhaps even where they got the cash to finance the expansion. Of course, Conner and a few newcomers could also throw a wrench into the works. But how quickly can they ramp up, much less sell their drives? I don't know. Anyone else?



To: Mark Oliver who wrote (4429)9/13/1998 7:00:00 PM
From: Candle stick  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 9256
 
How about that JMAR? They make the inspection stations that IBM uses to make their GMR (Giant Magneto Resistive) disk drive heads....very positive news release on Friday:

biz.yahoo.com

JMAR Technologies to Buy Back Its Own Shares

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 1998--JMAR Technologies Inc.
(Nasdaq/NM:JMAR - news), a growing provider of precision microtechnology systems and products, Thursday announced that its
board of directors has authorized the repurchase, from time to time, of up to $2 million of its own shares of common stock in the
open market, or in negotiated transactions, when they are available at prices the company considers attractive.

The company further stated that it believed the current weakness in small-cap market valuations has created an extremely
attractive buying opportunity for JMAR stock. Accordingly, it plans to promptly initiate repurchase transactions,
as appropriate, to
take advantage of the current low purchase prices.

Dr. John S. Martinez, JMAR's chairman and chief executive officer, said: ''This share-repurchase program is one aspect of our
commitment to improving shareholder value. I would also like to note that in spite of the market uncertainties caused by the
current worldwide financial crisis, JMAR today is in the strongest financial position in its history, with a low-debt balance sheet, a
new expanded bank line of credit at the prime rate, and operations that I believe are performing well in this difficult environment.


''For example, the company recently reported its ninth consecutive profitable quarter, its sales from continuing operations have
grown at an annual compounded rate in excess of 130 percent since we went public in 1990, and net profits have grown at a
compounded annual rate of more than 150 percent since we restructured in 1994.

''And that performance completely ignores the contributions we are receiving and anticipate from our high-potential
development-stage programs,'' Martinez continued.

''Last month, we were awarded a $13 million contract by the U.S. government -- the single largest order of any kind in our history
-- to build a prototype X-ray lithography source that we believe will enable the semiconductor industry to economically
manufacture the smaller microcircuits necessary for future high-performance electronic products and systems.

''We further believe that this program could open the door for us to compete for new sales opportunities that could grow to more
than a billion dollars per year as the market matures.

''In addition to the advances we are seeing in our X-ray lithography program, we are extremely close to commercial rollout with
our new Britelight laser micromachining systems, and also anticipate being able to shortly announce a series of substantial new
orders at our recently reorganized JMAR Semiconductor subsidiary,'' Martinez noted.


He concluded, ''Yet in spite of all of these positive events and trends and the company's strong condition, JMAR's stock is
currently trading at a two-year low, making the case for repurchasing our securities an overwhelming one.''

JMAR Technologies develops, manufactures and markets precision measurement, process-control and laser-manufacturing
systems, provides custom semiconductor products for the microelectronics industry, and is a leading developer of advanced
lithography point sources for production of future higher-performance semiconductors.

Pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements regarding JMAR's future sales or profit growth,
size of potential markets, competitive position or products, projects or processes currently under development and the ability of the
company to successfully introduce those products into the commercial marketplace or to apply or otherwise transfer those
products, projects or processes to alternate applications are forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements,
including delays in shipment or cancellation of orders, failure of expected orders to materialize, concentration of sales to certain
markets and customers, timing of future orders, customer reorganizations, failure of advanced technology to perform as predicted,
uncertainties associated with the timing of the funding of government contracts, fluctuations in demand, delays in development,
introduction and acceptance of new products, changing business and economic conditions in various geographic regions, natural
events such as earthquakes, flood and fire, and the other risks detailed from time to time in the company's reports that are filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

JMAR Technologies Inc., San Diego
Dennis E. Valentine, 619/535-1706
jmar.com
or
The Financial Relations Board Inc., Los Angeles
Eileen Morcos, 310/442-0599

See the JMAR thread at Subject 2377



To: Mark Oliver who wrote (4429)9/14/1998 4:41:00 PM
From: Sam  Respond to of 9256
 
More news on the Korean "Big Deal" merger front:
koreatimes.co.kr

<<Prof. Lee Phil-sang of Korea University accuses the big conglomerates of avoiding
painful overhauls. ''What they are seeking to do through the agreement is to separate
insolvent subsidiaries, combine them into larger units and attract government support
to keep them afloat under the pretext of business restructuring,'' Lee was quoted as
saying.

Critics say the five conglomerates are now more interested in seeking to rescue their
troubled empires with government subsidies rather than exchanging major businesses. >>

This is surprising?