News about <![CDATA[KLA/Tencor]]> News about en-us <![CDATA[Short Sellers Retreat from Micron Technology, Other Semiconductor Stocks]]> The largest percentage swings in short interest in semiconductor stocks between the April 15 and April 30 settlement dates happened to Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) and KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC), which saw drops of around six percent, and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), which plunged

]]> <![CDATA[AMD, Texas Instruments See Short Interest Surge]]> The largest percentage upswings in short interest in semiconductor stocks between the March 28 and April 15 settlement dates happened to Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN). All three jumped by double-digit percentages from the previous

]]> <![CDATA[Short Sellers Pile on ARM Holdings and Nvidia]]> The largest percentage swings in short interest in semiconductor stocks between the March 15 and March 28 settlement dates happened to KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC), which retreated more than 19 percent, as well as to ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH) and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), which jumped

]]> <![CDATA[Big Short Interest Swings in Chip Makers (ARMH, MU, NVDA)]]> The largest percentage swings in short interest in semiconductor stocks between the February 28 and March 15 settlement dates happened to ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH), which tumbled more than 42 percent, as well as to Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), which

]]> <![CDATA[Big Short Interest Swings in Chip Makers (AMAT, ARM, BRCM)]]> The largest percentage swings in short interest in semiconductor stocks between the February 15 and February 28 settlement dates happened to Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) and ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH), which tumbled about 19 percent, as well as to Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM), which jumped

]]> <![CDATA[Short Interest in Chip Makers on the Rise (AMAT, ARM, QCOM)]]> Semiconductor stocks continued to attract short sellers during the first two weeks of February.

The number of shares sold short in Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT), ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH), Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL), Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Qualcomm

]]> <![CDATA[Short Interest in Chip Makers on the Rise (AMAT, ARM, NVDA)]]> The short interest in semiconductor makers was mixed during the latter two weeks of January.

The number of shares sold short in Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT), ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH), Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) increased between the January

]]> <![CDATA[Barron's Recap (2/9/12): Best Fund Families]]> This weekend in Barron's online: the annual Barron's/Lipper Fund Family Ranking, why the Dell buyout deal may unravel, and the prospects for CSX, Hospira, and Wendy's.

Cover Story

"All in the Family" by Lawrence C. Strauss.

It is time again for the Barron's/Lipper Fund Family Ranking, and the new list offers

]]> <![CDATA[Earnings Expectations for the Week of January 21]]> The focus was on the big banks last week, with Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) reporting strong results, but Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Citigroup (NYSE: C) not so much.

The spotlight

]]> <![CDATA[Deutsche Bank Says Time to Sell KLA-Tencor; Premium Valuation Not Justified (KLAC)]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor Downgraded to “Underweight” at JP Morgan; Analyst Sees 15% Downside (KLAC)]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor Q3 Profit Falls on Charges, but Adjusted Results Beat View (KLAC)]]> <![CDATA[Inside Wall Street: Four Stocks That Could Double Your Money]]> investing

They may not be household names, but these four companies meet the rigorous investing criteria of these experts. Learn what they are and how they could help you double your money.

Continue reading Inside Wall Street: Four Stocks That Could Double Your Money

Inside Wall Street: Four Stocks That Could Double Your Money originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:00:00.

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]]> <![CDATA[Deutsche Bank Gets Bearish on the Semi Cap Equipment Sector (KLAC, AMAT)]]> <![CDATA[Trade of The Day – KLA-Tencor]]> <![CDATA[Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades WMT, HBC, DWA, CF, GMXR, LM, JDSU, ACI, MSPD, BECN, IBKR, HR, ICE, HCP, RVBD, SNIC…]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor Downgraded to “Underperform” at Oppenheimer (KLAC)]]> <![CDATA[Top Aggressive Growth Equity Funds – Mutual Fund Commentary]]> Today we are featuring top-performing “Aggressive Growth" equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in aggressive growth equity securities of companies.  Their objective is to achieve the highest possible returns. Investors willing to accept a higher than normal risk-return trade-off would do well to consider this fund category

5 Great Examples of Aggressive Growth

White Oak Select Growth Fund (WOGSX) seeks long-term capital appreciation. It was incepted in August 1992.

The aggressive growth fund invests in established companies with market capitalizations in excess of $5 billion, located in the U.S. When considering potential investments the fund seeks out stocks with above average growth potential available at attractive prices

This aggressive growth fund has an expense ratio of 1.25% against a category average of 1.33%. As of October 2009 it has a portfolio turnover of 353% compared to a category average of 112%. The fund’s top holdings include Amazon.com, Inc, Cisco Systems, Inc. and KLA-Tencor Corporation. For the year ended October 31, 2009, the fund outperformed the S&P 500 and the Lipper Large-Cap Growth Funds Average Indexes.

James D. Oelschlager has been lead manager of the fund since August 1992. Before founding Oak Associates in 1985, Oelschlager was director of pension investments with the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company.

Eagle Capital Appreciation A (HRCPX)  seeks long-term capital growth. It was incepted in December 1985.

At least 65% of the assets in this aggressive growth fund are invested in established companies which have the potential of providing good returns over the long term. It may look to use all its assets to purchase high-quality, short-term debt instruments.

The aggressive growth fund has an expense ratio of 1.36% against a category average of 1.33%. As of October 2009, it has a portfolio turnover of 54% against a category average of 112%. The fund’s top holdings include Crown Castle International Corporation, American Tower Corporation A and Apple, Inc. For the year ended October 31, 2009 the fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 1000 Growth Index.

David G. Shell has been lead manager of this aggressive growth fund since December 2002. Before his current assignment, Shell was a senior portfolio manager at Liberty Investment Management.

Delaware Trend Fund A (DELTX)  seeks capital appreciation. It was incepted in October 1968.

This aggressive growth fund invests at least 80% of its assets in small and mid-cap companies which have the potential to grow at a faster pace than the U.S. economy. It seeks out companies that have strong fundamentals and the ability to react quickly to changing business conditions. It may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign companies.

The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund invests primarily in equity securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies. It focuses on small- and mid-capitalization companies that are expected to grow faster than the U.S. economy. The fund has the ability to invest up to 20% of its net assets in the securities of foreign issuers The aggressive growth fund has an expense ratio of 1.60% against a category average of 1.61%. As of September 2009, it has a portfolio turnover of 110% against a category average of 133%. The fund’s top holdings include Abraxis BioScience Inc, Charles River Laboratories International Corp. and CommScope Inc. For the 1-year period ended June 30, 2009, the fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Growth Index.

Lori P. Wachs has been lead manager of the fund since December 1997. Before her current assignment, Wachs was with the equity-risk arbitrage department of Goldman Sachs.

Winslow Green Growth Fund (WGGFX)  seeks capital appreciation through investments which are environmentally responsible. It was incepted in March 2001.

The majority of this aggressive growth fund’s assets are used to purchase equity securities of environmentally proactive or environmentally sensitive domestic companies. Small and medium-sized domestic companies that are reasonably priced and have above-average growth potential are also potential investment options for the aggressive growth fund.

The aggressive growth fund has an expense ratio of 1.45% against a category average of 1.61%. It has an annual holdings turnover of 113% compared to a category average of 133%. The fund’s top holdings include Telvent GIT SA, American Superconductor Corporation and Horsehead Holding Corporation. The fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Growth Index, during the first two quarters of 2009.

Jackson W. Robinson has been lead manager of the fund since April 2001. Robinson has over 26 years of investment experience and is the founder of the Winslow Management Company.

Westcore MIDCO Growth (WTMGX)  seeks long-term capital appreciation. It was incepted in August 1986.

Stocks of medium-sized companies with significant growth potential constitute the primary investments of this aggressive growth fund. This aggressive growth fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets in mid-cap companies. These are companies with market capitalizations similar to those included in the Russell Mid-cap Growth index.

The aggressive growth fund has an expense ratio of 1.04% against a category average of 1.46 %. It has an annual portfolio turnover of 142% against a category average of 132%. The fund’s top holdings include Fidelity Instl MM Fds Government I, Goodrich Corporation and T Rowe Price Group. For the 1-year period ended June 2009, the fund had outperformed the Russell Midcap Growth Index and the Lipper Mid-Cap Growth Index.

William S. Chester has been lead manager of the fund since October 2002. Chester is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has earlier worked with Centennial Precious Metals and the University of Denver.

Discover many more aggressive growth funds by taking a look at the entire list of the Zacks ranked Aggressive Growth Equity Funds 

Discover Many More Funds

Learn more about the new Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and discover some of the best market-beating mutual funds by browsing our mutual funds section. This part of Zacks.com offers a variety of tools, including mutual fund research, a new mutual fund screener, helpful answers to frequently asked questions and quick access to prospectuses and other information.

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward.

Zacks Investment Research
]]> <![CDATA[Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades RTP, JPM, AMD, AMAT, BAS, GPS, X, APA, DTV…]]> <![CDATA[Semiconductors – Industry Outlook]]> The Semiconductor Industry serves as a driver, enabler and indicator of technological progress. Developments in the industry determine the way we work, transport ourselves, communicate, entertain ourselves and respond to our environment. For example, the PCs we use, the cars we drive, the phones with which we communicate, the electronic gadgets on which we watch movies, listen to music and play games, and the planes and weapons used to protect us all use semiconductor devices.

As environmental issues have become more of a concern today, semiconductor devices are being made to reduce power consumption, reduce heat dissipation, capture solar energy, create more efficient lighting solutions, and so forth.

The industry has come a long way since the last downturn, with most of the players streamlining operations and transferring more routine production to low-cost locations. This has led to the development of the Asian market, where most memory production and backend operations have shifted. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan) accounted for 53% of total semiconductor sales in September this year. Japan produced another 17%, followed by the Americas and Europe with 17% and 13%, respectively.

The computing market is not the only driver of semiconductor sales any more. Not only has the market matured, but it has also been severely impacted by the recession. Enterprise spending on computing has dropped, and higher levels of commoditization and corresponding pricing pressures have made it a lower-margin business. As a result, a number of chip companies have shifted focus to other areas.

The consumer electronics market is growing in importance, especially gadgets such as LCD TVs, blu-ray players, smartphones and netbooks. The problem with this segment being the major driver is its inherently low margins. Competition is fierce and aggressive pricing is the rule of the day. Therefore, although the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) expects shipments of LCD displays, blu-ray players and netbooks to increase 24%, 112% and 85%, respectively in 2009, it expects industry-wide revenue to be down 7.7%.

Smartphones are expected to be the exception, with revenue growing around 3% this year. Since semiconductors made for consumer goods are in the nature of components, there is ever-increasing pressure on their prices that correspondingly squeeze margins.

Communications infrastructure spending is currently being driven by China, although there are some signs of improvement in the domestic market. Medical Devices is an upcoming area and some IC makers have started developing products targeted at this market as well.

According to Autodata Corporation (as quoted by the CEA), vehicle sales have declined 40% from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2009. The decline was driven by the recession and the industry's dependence on the lending environment.

However, there are a number of positives for semiconductor manufacturers serving this market. The most important is the growing electronic content per vehicle, driven by the need for fuel efficiency, entertainment and automated navigation. The fact that an automobile has a significantly longer life than a consumer device is an added bonus, as once a semiconductor has been designed in, it continues to generate revenue for a number of years. This leads to a stable business model.

The aerospace and defense markets are dependent on government spending and policy making. Currently, government spending is targeted at terrorist activity, so spending on intelligence systems and less sophisticated weaponry remains strong. Companies offering sophisticated weapons are not doing as well. Commercial aerospace remains affected by tight lending conditions. So semiconductor manufacturers serving these markets are seeing mixed results, depending on the customers served.

Given the end markets driving the current strength in the industry, we tend to think that manufacturers of DRAM and flash (both NAND and NOR) will continue to see strong demand. The transition from DDR2 to DDR3 will add to growth in this segment.

The demand for greater functionality in smaller and more power efficient gadgets is leading to greater integration within the semiconductor device. This is leading to increased demand for the system-on-a-chip (SoC), which is a single device incorporating a microprocessor, digital signal processor or graphics core, as well as memory and logic. Within SoCs, both application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application specific standard products are expected to do well. ASICs are usually customized for a single buyer, while ASSPs may have multiple buyers.

The major players in the industry may be categorized into chipmakers, equipment and material suppliers, and foundries.

According to Gartner Dataquest and iSuppli Corp, Intel Corp (INTC), Samsung and Toshiba Corp. were the top three semiconductor suppliers in 2008. Texas Instruments (TXN) dropped to the fourth position, as the company decided to phase off its wireless baseband business. STMicroelectronics (STM) was in fifth, followed by Japan's Renesas. Sony (SNE), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Hynix stepped into the top ten for the first time, filling the next three positions. Infineon stayed at number 10.

The top three equipment suppliers in 2008 according to VLSI Research were Applied Materials (AMAT), ASML Holdings N.V. (ASML), and Tokyo Electron Ltd. KLA-Tencor (KLAC), Lam Research Corp (LRCX), Nikon, Canon (CAJ), Hitachi, Dainippon and Novellus Systems (NVLS) are the others in the top ten. VLSI estimates that the top fifteen equipment suppliers generated around 70% of 2008 sales. Around 46% of equipment sales were from the U.S., Japan accounted for 36%, while the rest came from Europe.

All of the top five foundries are located in Asia. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) and United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), the two largest players in 2008, are located in Taiwan. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (CHRT) is located in Singapore, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMI) is in China and Vanguard is also in Taiwan.

OPPORTUNITIES

Manufacturing digital ICs is expensive, as it requires state-of-the-art technology and processes. On the other hand, digital products are cheaper, so cost recovery is more difficult. This has led to specialization in the industry and a greater contribution from Asian companies.

We particularly like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), the world's largest pureplay foundry, which has started seeing very strong demand from all served end markets. The company is a technology leader and management intends to maintain this lead through R&D investment in 28nm and 22nm process technologies. Higher utilization and cost controls are also driving margins.

U.S. production is more focused on the analog side, which is a market dependent on innovation. Consequently, these products generate higher margins. They are also more customized and have longer life cycles.

These advantages are not lost on U.S. players, so the number of companies entering the market is on the rise. Our favorites in this area include Texas Instruments (TXN) and Analog Devices (ADI), both of which are seeing strengthening demand.

Although other players, such as Semtech Corp (SMTC), Intersil Corp (ISIL), Maxim Integrated Products (MXIM) and Linear Technology (LLTC) are also benefiting from stronger end demand and inventory builds at distributors, other factors makes us a bit cautious about these stocks. For example, Maxim changed its growth strategy last year, which continues to impact margins. Linear Technology also revamped its portfolio, increasing its focus on the auto market. Consequently, the company has been hard-hit by the tight lending conditions.

Microprocessors are a big market dominated by a few players. We are positive about Intel (INTC) because of its market position, superior innovation, effective strategies and strong cash position. However, the company’s dependence on the PC market and recent negative publicity could impact stock prices in the near term.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), on the other hand, is low on cash and market position, although the company’s competitive products, the foundry spin-off and recent agreement with Intel indicate upside for the stock. It is hard to ignore ARM Holdings (ARMH) in this space, as the company’s power-efficient low-performance chips dominate the growing cell phone market.

We also like logic maker Xilinx (XLNX) for its product innovation and position in China.

WEAKNESSES

The semiconductor companies we are concerned about include those with very weak financials, such as Exar Corp. (EXAR) and FormFactor (FORM). For instance, FORM continues to burn cash despite strong demand for its specialized probe cards. It also has significant customer and market concentration that increase execution risks.

TriQuint Semiconductor (TQNT) has been severely impacted by the recession, and the slower recovery in the communications networking market is telling on results.

SIA Forecast 2009-2011

The Semiconductor Industry Association expects 2009 sales of $219.7 billion, an 11.6% decline from 2008 levels. However, sales are expected to increase over the next two years, by 10.2% in 2010 and 8.4% in 2011. The forecast for 2009 is better than before due to particular strength in PCs and cell phones, which make up 60% of total semiconductor demand.Zacks Investment Research
]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor Q3 Profit Rises, Beating Estimates (KLA)]]> <![CDATA[KLA, Applied Improving]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor Upgraded at Pacific Crest (KLAC)]]> <![CDATA[KLA-Tencor and the Fate of the Semiconductor Capital Equipment Sector]]>