Semiconductor firms boosted by success of wireless devices. (Corporate Focus).DESPITE a slow economy and sagging sag v. sagged, sag·ging, sags v.intr. 1. To sink, droop, or settle from pressure or weight. 2. demand from big customers, semiconductor industry stocks have turned in one of the best market performances thus far this year. The Philadelphia Philadelphia, ancient cities Philadelphia, name of several ancient cities. One was in Lydia, W Asia Minor (now W Turkey). At the foot of Mt. Tmolus and near the location of modern Alaşehir, it was founded in the 2d cent. B.C. Semiconductor Index, which tracks the largest chip companies, is up 18 percent year to date, while the S&P 500 Index is up only 5 percent. Locally, four of the five semiconductor companies surveyed showed stock price gains this year, feeling the glow of some of the industry's strongest trends. International Rectifier International Rectifier Corp. (NYSE: IRF) is a manufacturer of power semiconductors (MOSFET, IGBT, diodes and thyristors), located in El Segundo, California, USA. It has a market capitalization of 2.48 billion USD and is listed on the S&P Midcap 400. Corp., the El Segundo-based manufacturer of power management semiconductors, has seen its stock gain 20.5 percent for the year, while Diodes Inc. is up 60.8 percent and Semtech
Semtech Corporation (NASDAQ: SMTC) is a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. Corp., based in Camarillo Camarillo (kă'mərē`yō), city (1990 pop. 52,303), Ventura co., S Calif.; inc. 1964. It is the center of a fertile farm area where citrus fruits and flowers are grown. , is up 45.8 percent. All three have benefited from strong consumer interest in cell phones and new notebook computers A laptop computer that weighs in a range from five to seven pounds. The term originated when laptops were routinely more than 10 pounds, and those that became lighter were placed in a special "notebook" category. In practice, notebook computer and laptop computer are synonymous. and other devices with wireless capabilities, and requiring sophisticated power management. Other factors at play are active manufacturing in China and the belief that pent-up demand for technology products will surface as the economy gradually improves. These hopes so far have overcome concerns about everything from the Iraq war Iraq War: see under Persian Gulf Wars. Iraq War or Second Persian Gulf War Brief conflict in 2003 between Iraq and a combined force of troops largely from the U.S. and Great Britain; and a subsequent U.S. to SARS. Currently, there is slow, single-digit revenue growth for the industry, which is expected to rise to between 10 and 15 percent for all of 2003, said Brian Matas, vice president of research at IC Insights, a market research firm. "In terms of dollars the semiconductor industry has turned the corner and has shown growth," he said.
L.A.-area chip stocks on the move
Company Share Prices YTD
May 21 Movement
Diodes Inc. $15.45 +60.8%
International Rectifier Corp. 22.25 +20.5
Semtech Corp. 15.95 *45.8
Taitron Components Inc. 1.15 -14.2
Trio Tech International 2.25 +0.4
[GRAPH OMITTED] |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion