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Electronics news digest

29 July 2020 News

South Africa

• As part of the national data-driven approach to countering COVID-19, the CSIR has developed a platform that monitors human mobility to better understand movement patterns across specific areas, such as virus hotspots, high-risk and vulnerable areas, as well as monitor lockdown compliance and the spread of the virus. The platform presents a dashboard of integrated and holistic national mobility intelligence to stakeholders and decision-makers in data, research and statistics, the national Department of Health, law enforcement agencies, provincial roads and transport departments, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and others.

Overseas

Business

• For the first quarter of its 2020 financial year, NXP Semiconductors reported revenue of

$2,02 billion, lower than in the previous quarter ($2,30 billion) as well as the first quarter of 2019 ($2,09 billion). This resulted in an operating income of $68 million, but things don’t look as rosy for the company’s next quarter. It expects revenue to plunge to $1,7 billion to $1,9 billion, and to suffer an operating loss of $115 million to $237 million.

• STMicroelectronics reported financial results for its second quarter ended 27 June 2020. Net revenues totalled $2,09 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of 4,0% and a sequential decrease of 6,5%. Net income and diluted earnings per share decreased to $90 million and $0,10, respectively, compared to $160 million and $0,18, respectively, in the year-ago second quarter. The company is more optimistic about its third quarter, providing guidance of $2,45 billion in revenues.

• Texas Instruments reported second quarter revenue of $3,24 billion (12% lower year-on-year), net income of $1,38 (up 6%) billion and earnings per share of $1,48 (up 9%). Its third-quarter outlook is for revenue in the range of $3,26 billion to $3,54 billion, and earnings per share between $1,14 and $1,34.

• Net sales for the fourth quarter of Microchip Technology’s fiscal 2020 were $1,326 billion, down 0,3% from net sales of $1,330 billion in the prior year’s fourth fiscal quarter. Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 was $99,9 million, or $0,39 per diluted share, down from net income of $174,7 million, or $0,70 per diluted share, in the prior year’s fourth fiscal quarter.

• During the second quarter of 2020, STMicroelectronics returned to normal operations, supporting its customers’ demand and continuing to ensure the health and safety of its employees. The company reported second quarter net revenues of $2,09 billion, net income of $90 million or $0,10 diluted earnings per share. This compares to 2019 second quarter revenues of $2,17 billion, net income of $160 million and $0,18 diluted earnings per share.

Companies

• Analog Devices and Maxim Integrated Products have entered into a definitive agreement under which Analog Devices will acquire Maxim in an all-stock transaction that values the combined enterprise at over $68 billion. Maxim’s strength in the automotive and data centre markets, combined with Analog Devices’ strength across the broad industrial, communications and digital healthcare markets, are highly complementary and aligned with key secular growth trends.

• ams announced the successful closing of its acquisition of OSRAM Licht AG. The takeover offer has been fully settled and the offer price paid to the holders of the tendered shares. Following the closing, ams holds 69% of all shares in OSRAM (excluding treasury shares) on the basis of the takeover offer and additional purchases equivalent to a transaction value of around 2,7 billion Euros. As the majority shareholder of OSRAM, ams expects to gain representation on the supervisory board of OSRAM based on its shareholding shortly. ams will announce further steps towards the integration of the two companies in due course.

• Infineon Technologies announced the closing of the acquisition of Cypress Semiconductor. Cypress adds a differentiated portfolio of microcontrollers, connectivity components, software ecosystems and high-performance memories. All this is highly complementary to Infineon’s leading power semiconductors, automotive microcontrollers, sensors and security solutions. Combining these technology assets enables advanced solutions for high-growth applications such as ADAS/AD, IoT and 5G mobile infrastructure.

Industry

• The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $35,0 billion in May 2020, an increase of 5,8 percent from the May 2019 total and 1,5 percent more than the April 2020 total. Additionally, SIA endorsed the WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Statistics) Spring 2020 global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects the industry’s worldwide sales will be $426,0 billion in 2020. This would mark a 3,3 percent increase from the 2019 sales total.




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