Results
Q3 revenues are expected to rise 2-8% sequentially, representing year-on-year growth in the range 23-30%. The increase is expect to be driven by a broad range of applications - wireless, networking, data storage, digital consumer and automotive. Flash memory will also be a growth area.
Infineon Technologies made FQ3 2004 (to end of June) sales of EUR1.908bn, a 30% increase on FQ3 2003. The company's earning before interest and tax (EBIT) came to EUR2mn compared with an EBIT loss of EUR116mn in FQ3 2003. The company comments on the outlook for its wireline business as continuing to be "challenging". The supply-demand balance for memory products is expected to be "favourable".
The company has increased its accrued charges for US and European antitrust investigations and related civil actions from EUR184mn to EUR212mn. This resulted in a FQ3 2004 net loss of EUR56mn. The net loss in FQ3 2003 was EUR116mn.
The US investigation began June 2002. A total of 25 purported class action suits have been filed against Infineon and other DRAM suppliers in US federal and state courts. Damages are being sought for alleged anticompetitive behaviour. Infineon also reports being approached by customers seeking compensation.
Samsung reports Q2 2004 semiconductor sales at KRW4.58tr, a 103% increase on Q2 2003's KRW2.26tr. Semiconductor operating profit was KRW2.15tr, compared with KRW0.52tr in Q2 2003.
The company has upped its 2004 semiconductor capital expenditure budget from KRW5.20tr to KRW5.77tr. The extra money will go on memory operations with spending at KRW4.97tr compared with the planned KRW3.90tr. Capital expenditure in system large-scale integration IC (logic) production is to be reduced from the planned KRW1.24tr to KRW0.84tr.
Under "business outlook", the company sees demand growth in DRAM (back to school, DDR2 and corporate PC replacement), NAND Flash, device driver ICs (display and handset) and CMOS image sensing.
Silicon-on-insulator wafer supplier Soitec reports FQ1 2004-2005 (April 1-June 30) sales at EUR32.6mn, a 68.3% increase on FQ1 2003-2004's EUR19.4mn.
