Chipmaker Analog Devices Forecasts Strong Q4 Results as Demand Recovers

Analog Devices' logo is pictured on a smartphone in this illustration taken, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Analog Devices' logo is pictured on a smartphone in this illustration taken, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Chipmaker Analog Devices Forecasts Strong Q4 Results as Demand Recovers

Analog Devices' logo is pictured on a smartphone in this illustration taken, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Analog Devices' logo is pictured on a smartphone in this illustration taken, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Analog Devices forecast fourth-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, as it benefits from returning demand for its chips used in consumer electronics.

A decline in surplus chip inventory across sectors, including communication, consumer and industrial, has helped chipmakers see a recovery in orders after a years-long slump.

Analog Devices' consumer segment revenue rose 3% to $316.6 million in the third quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of $289.3 million, according to LSEG data, Reuters reported.

Shares of Wilmington, Massachusetts-based Analog Devices rose 1.3% in premarket trading after the company's third-quarter profit of $1.58 per share also beat LSEG estimates of $1.51.

The company now expects fourth-quarter revenue of $2.40 billion, plus or minus $100 million, above LSEG estimates of $2.37 billion. It also sees adjusted earnings per share of $1.63, plus or minus 10 cents, compared with estimates of $1.62.

The upbeat forecast follows strong results from rival chipmaker Texas Instruments.

However, economic and geopolitical uncertainty continues to limit the pace of recovery, Analog Devices CFO Richard Puccio said.

Revenue for the company's industrial segment, the largest in terms of revenue, came in at $1.06 billion, slightly lower than analysts' expectations of $1.07 million.

Analog Devices provides semiconductors to businesses in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, communications, digital healthcare, and industrial automation among others.



Microsoft Faces UK Lawsuit over Cloud Computing Licenses

A Microsoft logo is pictured on a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
A Microsoft logo is pictured on a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
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Microsoft Faces UK Lawsuit over Cloud Computing Licenses

A Microsoft logo is pictured on a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
A Microsoft logo is pictured on a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, January 25, 2021. (Reuters)

Microsoft faces legal action in Britain over a claim that thousands of businesses using cloud computing services provided by Amazon, Google and Alibaba could be paying higher license fees to use Windows Server software.

Competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi filed a case at the Competition Appeal Tribunal on Tuesday, claiming that British businesses and organizations could collectively be owed more than 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion) in compensation.

"Put simply, Microsoft is punishing UK businesses and organizations for using Google, Amazon and Alibaba for cloud computing by forcing them to pay more money for Windows Server," she said.

"By doing so, Microsoft is trying to force customers into using its cloud computing service Azure and restricting competition in the sector."

Separately, Britain's competition regulator is investigating cloud computing, a market dominated by Amazon's AWS, Microsoft's Azure and, to a lesser extent, Google Cloud Platform.

Microsoft's licensing practices, for example for its Windows Server and Microsoft 365 products, are part of its inquiry.

It is due to update on its investigation imminently.

Microsoft in 2020 introduced new license fees for running its software on major cloud providers.

The claim alleges it then used the fees to induce customers to use its Azure platform.

Data from the Competition and Markets Authority published in May showed Microsoft was winning customers at a significantly higher rate than other cloud providers since it made the licensing change.

The United States Federal Trade Commission last week opened a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft, including its cloud computing business, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The FTC is examining allegations the software giant was potentially abusing its market power in productivity software by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving from Azure to competitive platforms, sources said last month.