Amkor Technology, Inc. AMKR reported second-quarter 2020 earnings of 23 cents per share against the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.02. The figure significantly improved from the year-ago quarter but declined sequentially.
Revenues of $1.17 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.7%. The figure improved 31% year over year and 1.7% sequentially.
The company witnessed solid demand for advanced packaging technologies in consumer and communication markets during the reported quarter.
Amkor remains optimistic about growth opportunities associated with high-performance computing, 5G communication, IoT wearables and automotive electronics, which in turn are expected to strengthen its market position.
Amkor Technology, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Amkor Technology, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Amkor Technology, Inc. Quote
Revenues in Terms of Product Lines
Advanced Products — which includes flip chip scale packages, wafer-level chip scale packages and flip chip ball grid array packages — accounted for approximately 62% of second-quarter revenues. Revenues improved 68.4% year over year to $729 million.
Mainstream Products — which includes lead frame packages, substrate-based wire bond packages and MEMS packages — accounted for the remaining 38% of second-quarter revenues. Revenues declined 3.9% year over year to $444 million.
End-Market Details
The company operates in four end markets, namely Communications, Consumer, Automotive and Computing. These end markets contributed 38%, 27%, 19% and 16% to second-quarter net sales, respectively.
The Communications market remained strong in the quarter. The company witnessed growth in 4G products and a steady ramp of 5G products, including RF, front ends, modems and sensors. Computing grew 13%, both sequentially and year over year, driven by strength in all applications, including data center, infrastructure, and storage and PC laptops.
The Memory business increased more than 15% sequentially and 35% year over year. The NAND flash memory business remained strong in the quarter.
Margins
Per management, gross margin of 16.4% expanded 260 basis points (bps) from the year-ago quarter.
Operating expenses of $105.8 million increased 4.8% year over year due to disciplined discretionary spending and manufacturing cost control. As a percentage of revenues, both selling, general and administrative, as well as research and development expenses declined from the year-ago quarter.
Operating margin was 7.4%, which expanded 490 bps from the prior-year quarter.
Balance Sheet
As of Jun 30, 2020, cash and short-term investments were $1.1 billion compared with $1 billion on Mar 31, 2020.
Further, total debt was $1.5 billion at second quarter-end, flat sequentially. Net debt was $451 million versus $514 in the prior quarter.
Guidance
For third-quarter 2020, Amkor expects revenues in the range of $1.2-$1.3 billion, indicating 15% year-over-year growth and 6.3% sequential improvement. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.16 billion. The increase is likely to be driven by the launch of flagship smart phones, including more 5G models.
Gross margin is expected in the range of 15-18%.
Further, earnings are expected within 17-35 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 18 cents per share.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Amkor currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Microchip Technology Incorporated MCHP, eBay EBAY and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD. While Microchip Technology and eBay sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Advanced Micro carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Long-term earnings growth for Microchip Technology, eBay, and Advanced Micro is currently projected at 14.5%, 11.7% and 40.3%, respectively.
These Stocks Are Poised to Soar Past the Pandemic
The COVID-19 outbreak has shifted consumer behavior dramatically, and a handful of high-tech companies have stepped up to keep America running. Right now, investors in these companies have a shot at serious profits. For example, Zoom jumped 108.5% in less than 4 months while most other stocks were sinking.
Our research shows that 5 cutting-edge stocks could skyrocket from the exponential increase in demand for “stay at home” technologies. This could be one of the biggest buying opportunities of this decade, especially for those who get in early.
See the 5 high-tech stocks now>>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research
