Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs Specialist, Objective Analysis

Jim Handy

Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs Specialist

Objective Analysis

Objective Analysis offers third-party independent market research and data for the semiconductor industry and investors in the semiconductor industry.

Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>SK hynix earnings were announced, with a 10% Q/Q revenue increase driving a 734% increase in operating profit</li>
<li>Although the company cited AI demand as the basis for this, its DRAM revenues, which are very AI dependent, increase very little</li>
<li>NAND SSD demand increased significantly, with a 30% increase in revenues, largely attributable to price increases</li>
</ul>


SK hynix earnings were announced, with a 10% Q/Q revenue increase driving a 734% increase in operating profit
Although the company cited AI demand as the basis for this, its DRAM revenues, which are very AI dependent, increase very little
NAND SSD demand increased significantly, with a 30% increase in revenues, largely attributable to price increases


Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors, Fabricated Knowledge

Douglas O'Laughlin

Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors

Fabricated Knowledge

Learn more about the world's most important manufactured product. Meaningful insight, timely analysis, and an occasional investment idea.

<ul>
<li>Semicon West is “back”! Participation this year was up 65% compared to 2022, and I believe it’s an all-time high for visitors! Over 25,000 attendees came to Semicon this year, and that’s the best sign that semiconductor manufacturing in the US is back!</li>
<li>Amid Applied Material’s new tool Vistara, Lam Research talking about their simulation platform, and Tokyo Electron talking about a new etch tool, there was a flurry of news and product announcements.</li>
<li>The most exciting piece of news is Tokyo Electron’s cryogenic etch product. Their new product is a big deal.</li>
</ul>


Semicon West is “back”! Participation this year was up 65% compared to 2022, and I believe it’s an all-time high for visitors! Over 25,000 attendees came to Semicon this year, and that’s the best sign that semiconductor manufacturing in the US is back!
Amid Applied Material’s new tool Vistara, Lam Research talking about their simulation platform, and Tokyo Electron talking about a new etch tool, there was a flurry of news and product announcements.
The most exciting piece of news is Tokyo Electron’s cryogenic etch product. Their new product is a big deal.


Semicon West: Big Shifts in the NAND Market

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There are signs of a recovery in the chip sector</li>
<li>Memory spot prices are up, and revenues have risen for six consecutive months</li>
<li>Growth is higher than average, indicating the start of another super-cycle</li>
</ul>


There are signs of a recovery in the chip sector
Memory spot prices are up, and revenues have risen for six consecutive months
Growth is higher than average, indicating the start of another super-cycle


<ul>
<li>Micron's Sept 29 4QF22 earnings call met the company's low guidance for the quarter</li>
<li>The company's current-quarter outlook is for a significantly worse 4QF22</li>
<li>This phenomenon will impact the earnings for all of Micron's competition in upcoming calls</li>
</ul>


Micron's Sept 29 4QF22 earnings call met the company's low guidance for the quarter
The company's current-quarter outlook is for a significantly worse 4QF22
This phenomenon will impact the earnings for all of Micron's competition in upcoming calls


Global Emerging Market Equities, Propitious Research

Wium Malan, CFA

Global Emerging Market Equities

Independent, Fundamental Quantitative Research

Propitious Research

Fully independent, fundamental and quantitative equity research, focused on companies in the Telecommunication, Media, Technology, Internet and Healthcare sectors in the Global Emerging Markets. Idea generation focused on Quality stocks, trading below their intrinsic Value, with sound Corporate Governance.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sk-hynix-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16955:1" rel="noopener">SK Hynix (000660 KS)</a> is the second-largest Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) semiconductor Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) in the world and is set to become a major player in the global NAND industry following the acquisition of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intel-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16764:1" rel="noopener">Intel Corp (INTC US)</a>’s NAND business. Based on the compelling demand outlook for the industry, the significant increase in spot memory prices this year, and the expected revenue uplift in 2022 from the closure of the Intel NAND acquisition there looks to be room for an upside surprise to current earnings expectations which could sustain the earnings upgrade cycle, for a stock that is trading on valuation multiples that are below historical average levels as well as that of global peers. This insight is also a natural follow up from an idea generated through our, machine learning-driven, proprietary GEM screening model, which takes a three-pronged approach to find the best medium-term long ideas within the top100 largest stocks in the MSCI GEM Index: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/screening-for-gems-july-2021" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:53931" rel="noopener">Screening for GEMs: July 2021</a>.

SK Hynix (000660 KS) is the second-largest Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) semiconductor Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) in the world and is set to become a major player in the global NAND industry following the acquisition of Intel Corp (INTC US)’s NAND business. Based on the compelling demand outlook for the industry, the significant increase in spot memory prices this year, and the expected revenue uplift in 2022 from the closure of the Intel NAND acquisition there looks to be room for an upside surprise to current earnings expectations which could sustain the earnings upgrade cycle, for a stock that is trading on valuation multiples that are below historical average levels as well as that of global peers. This insight is also a natural follow up from an idea generated through our, machine learning-driven, proprietary GEM screening model, which takes a three-pronged approach to find the best medium-term long ideas within the top100 largest stocks in the MSCI GEM Index: Screening for GEMs: July 2021.

SK Hynix: Leading DRAM IDM, Trading at Discount Multiples, in a Strong Demand Environment

Japan

Kioxia Holdings Corporation manufactures semiconductor memory products. The Company develops, produces, and sells flash memory cards, solid state drives, secure digital memory cards, and other products. Kioxia Holdings markets its products worldwide.

Kioxia Holdings (6600 JP)

SK Hynix: AI Is Still the Main Driver

Today's SK hynix earnings show the continued strength of AI demand, but not in HBM as most industry observers expected. This time NAND flash is...

Jim Handy

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Semicon West is “back”! Participation this year was up 65% compared to 2022, and I believe it’s an all-time high for visitors! Over 25,000...

Fabricated Knowledge

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The chip sector is beginning to recover with rising memory prices and six consecutive months of above-average revenue growth, suggesting the onset...

Jim Handy

Micron FYQ4: Bad, and About to Get Worse

Micron announced revenues down 23% Quarter on Quarter and guided down another 36% Q/Q for the current quarter. This shows what upcoming results...

Jim Handy

SK Hynix: Leading DRAM IDM, Trading at Discount Multiples, in a Strong Demand Environment

In this insight, we take a closer look at SK Hynix, the 2nd largest DRAM IDM in the world and its potential for re-rating driven by a continuation...

Wium Malan, CFA

SK Hynix: AI Is Still the Main Driver

Today's SK hynix earnings show the continued strength of AI demand, but not in HBM as most industry observers expected. This time NAND flash is...

Jim Handy

Semicon West: Big Shifts in the NAND Market

Semicon West is “back”! Participation this year was up 65% compared to 2022, and I believe it’s an all-time high for visitors! Over 25,000...

Fabricated Knowledge

Are Semiconductors Finally Recovering?

​The chip sector is beginning to recover with rising memory prices and six consecutive months of above-average revenue growth, suggesting the onset...

Jim Handy

Micron FYQ4: Bad, and About to Get Worse

Micron announced revenues down 23% Quarter on Quarter and guided down another 36% Q/Q for the current quarter. This shows what upcoming results...

Jim Handy

SK Hynix: Leading DRAM IDM, Trading at Discount Multiples, in a Strong Demand Environment

In this insight, we take a closer look at SK Hynix, the 2nd largest DRAM IDM in the world and its potential for re-rating driven by a continuation...

Wium Malan, CFA

The chip sector is beginning to recover with rising memory prices and six consecutive months of above-average revenue growth, suggesting the onset...