SAN FRANCISCO: Micron Expertise Inc., the most important United States maker of reminiscence chips, gave an upbeat forecast for the present quarter, an indication that demand stays robust from quickly increasing data-centre prospects.
Gross sales might be about US$8.7bil (RM36.6bil) in its fiscal third quarter, Micron stated in a press release.
That compares with a mean analyst estimate of US$8.2bil (RM35bil), in keeping with information compiled by Bloomberg. Excluding sure gadgets, revenue might be about US$2.46 (RM10.35) a share, topping the US$2.24 (RM9.43) prediction.
Reminiscence chips are actually utilized in a variety of units, making them much less topic to fluctuations in demand for private computer systems and smartphones. That is helped Micron proceed to develop even because the PC market slows.
Information-centre gross sales have been a selected shiny spot, surging greater than 60% final quarter. Industrial gross sales additionally gained about 60% within the interval, and automaker income set a file.
Whereas the variety of PCs and smartphones being shipped is not rising, the quantity of reminiscence these units is required, in keeping with chief govt officer Sanjay Mehrotra. “Micron is taking a look at a file yr in fiscal 2022,” he stated in an interview.
“Our finish market demand is powerful, our prospects’ demand is powerful and provide is constrained.”
Micron’s shares rose as a lot as 6.5% in prolonged buying and selling following the report.
They’d misplaced 12% this yr by way of Tuesday’s shut, a part of a broader tech droop.
The Philadelphia Inventory Change Semiconductor Index has misplaced 8.1% this yr. Within the three months ended March 3, Micron’s income grew 25% to US$7.79bil (RM33bil). Internet revenue was US$2.26bil (RM9.5bil), or US$2 (RM8.42) a share, up from US$603mil (RM2.5bil), or 53 cents (RM2.23), a yr earlier.
Micron competes with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc, in addition to Japan’s Kioxia Holdings Corp. Dynamic random-access reminiscence or DRAM chips info maintain quickly, serving to processors crunch information.
Nand flash reminiscence, in the meantime, acts as everlasting storage in telephones and computer systems.
Current manufacturing issues at Kioxia crops induced a few of its merchandise to be unusable, serving to enhance costs of Nand semiconductors.
Samsung dominates manufacturing of each main kinds of chips.
Traditionally, the PC market has pushed demand for reminiscence.
That trade loved a surge throughout the pandemic, fueled partly by stuck-at-home employees shopping for new gear. Nevertheless it has slowed extra not too long ago. Micron stated that it expects PC shipments to be flat this yr in contrast with 2021.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine will not have an effect on Micron’s manufacturing, however the area’s function as a supply of gases and a few minerals utilized in chip manufacturing signifies that some prices might go up, the corporate stated.
The return of lockdowns in China associated to the Covid-19 pandemic signify a danger to the electronics provide chain, in keeping with Mehrotra.
As with many corporations, the worth of vitality, transport, uncooked supplies and wages are going up, he stated.
Micron is ready to offset this inflationary stress by enhancing its manufacturing strategies to make itself extra environment friendly. It is doing that quicker than its rivals, he stated. — Bloomberg