South Africa
Altech’s results for the financial year ending 28 February 2011 proved to be disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Despite an overall increase in revenues from the prior period to R9,65 billion, operating profit before capital items declined by 16% to R787 million and by 42% to R514 million after impairments. Operating profit in the prior period was R933 million. Profit margins fell to 8,2%, from 10,1% in the previous financial year. Basic earnings per share declined by 60% to 216 cents per share. The company declared a dividend of 356 cents per share, a growth of 5% on the previous dividend.
Cirtech Electronics is now an official southern African agent for Displaytronics, a Xiamen Zettler Electronics company. The Displaytronics product range includes LCD modules, transformers, sensors and relays. The LCD range covers virtually every application requiring an LCD or TFT display. It includes backlit LEDs, chip on board, chip on glass, graphic modules, character modules and touch panel displays.
Overseas
Business
Cree announced revenue of $219,2 million for its third quarter of fiscal 2011. This represents a 6% decrease compared to revenue of $234,1 million reported for the third fiscal quarter last year and a 15% decrease compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2011. GAAP net income for the third quarter of $18,9 million, or $0,17 per diluted share, decreased 58% year-over-year compared to $44,6 million, or $0,41 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2010.
For the first quarter of its 2011 financial year, Cypress Semiconductor achieved revenue of $233,1 million and net income of $55,4 million or $0,28 per share. Comparatively, revenue in the previous quarter was $220,3 million and net income was $9,1 million or $0,05 per share. In the first quarter of last year, revenue was $202,3 million and net income was $12,7 million or $0,07 per share.
Maxim reported net revenue of $606,8 million for its fiscal 2011 third quarter ended 26 March, a 1% decrease from the $612,9 million revenue recorded in the prior quarter. Based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), diluted earnings per share in the March quarter were $0,45.
Net sales for Freescale Semiconductor’s first quarter of 2011 were $1,19 billion, compared to $1,18 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 and $1,02 billion in the first quarter last year. The net loss for the first quarter of 2011 was $148 million, compared to a loss of $102 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and a loss of $257 million in the same period last year. First quarter 2011 results include a $90 million charge associated with the company’s inability to reopen its Sendai, Japan wafer fabrication facility, which was seriously damaged by the 11 March earthquake, continuing aftershocks and disruptions to utilities and local infrastructure.
Texas Instruments announced first quarter 2011 revenue of $3,39 billion, net income of $666 million and earnings per share of 55 cents. In the same period last year, the company achieved revenue of $3,21 billion, net income of $658 million and earnings per share of 52 cents.
Fairchild Semiconductor announced results for its first fiscal quarter ended 27 March. Sales were $413 million, up 4% from the prior quarter and 9% higher than the first quarter of 2010. Net income was $43,5 million or $0,33 per diluted share, compared to $51,0 million or $0,40 per diluted share in the prior quarter and $22,6 million or $0,18 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2010.
Companies
Fluke has announced the acquisition of Ruska and Pressurements from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies. Ruska and Pressurements products serve the pressure calibration market at various price and accuracy points ranging from National Metrology Institute (NMI) to industrial applications. Ruska and Pressurements will be integrated into Fluke as part of the Fluke Calibration business unit.
Cree and Osram announced the signing of a comprehensive, worldwide patent cross-licence agreement. The agreement covers patents from both parties in the fields of blue LED chip technology, white LEDs and phosphors, packaging, LED luminaires and lamps, and LED lighting control systems. Cree also recently announced a similar broad cross-licence agreement with Philips and has existing patent agreements with Nichia and Toyoda Gosei regarding LED technology.
Microsemi has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AML Communications for $2,50 per share in an all-cash transaction. The total transaction value will be approximately $28 million, net of AML’s projected cash balance at closing. AML had previously entered into a definitive merger agreement with Anaren on 14 February whereby Anaren would acquire AML for $2,15 per share.
Ericsson has entered into an agreement to acquire Telenor Connexion’s M2M technology platform for an undisclosed amount. Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, one of the world’s major mobile operators with 203 million mobile subscribers. Telenor Connexion also becomes the first customer to Ericsson on its Device Connection Platform, a service which offers telecom operators a way to set up tailored M2M services for enterprise customers and brought to market with a ‘software as a service’ business model, providing a low initial investment in technology and a fast time to market.
Fairchild Semiconductor has acquired TranSiC, a Silicon Carbide (SiC) power transistor company, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition provides Fairchild with bipolar SiC transistor technology as well as a team of highly experienced SiC engineers and scientists, and multiple patents in SiC technology.
Industry
Mentor Graphics announced that, according to the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Consortium’ market statistics service report for 2010, the company has achieved a 50% worldwide market share in PCB design solutions. Of particular note in the report is Mentor’s market share in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific with 60%, 57% and 50% respectively. Japan was the only market where Mentor did not show the largest PCB design market share but did grow its market share by more than 75% from 2009 to 2010.
Continuing its steady rise in the semiconductor industry, Samsung Electronics in 2010 came closer to challenging Intel’s chip market leadership than any company had in more than a decade, new IHS iSuppli market research has revealed. The newly released final market share rankings for 2010 show No. 2-ranked Samsung held 9,2% share of global chip revenue, up from 7,6% in 2009. This put the South Korean electronics giant a mere 4,1 percentage points behind perennial market leader Intel. In 2001 Intel’s market share of 14,9% was more than three times that of Samsung at 3,9%; Samsung ranked fifth then.
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