Xilinx just gave some updated guidance to its December quarter and by the sound of this all you probably figured out that it was lower.  The company said that the quarterly sales are now expected to be down in a range of 7% to 9% sequentially, even worse than the prior guidance for a decline of “flat to down 4% sequentially.” It did maintain gross margin guidance of roughly 65%.

The reasoning behind this is also going to drive away many supporters because of the comments, and some may question the credibility of the claims.  Xilinx noted, “The decreased sales guidance is primarily related to weaker than anticipated sales to a few large communications customers, specifically in the wireless segment.”

Isn’t the wireless segment supposed to be the growth segment right now?  There is a chance that this is a blip, but a cynic would say that wireless customers are going elsewhere other than Xilinx.  The claim from Xilinx is that it “expects sales growth to return to the communications segment in the March quarter based on current backlog and forecasts from its large customers.”  This is a story that may be a story alright.

Xilinx shares closed up 1% at $28.39, but shares are down about 5.4% at $28.39 in the after-hours trading session.  Its 52-week trading range is $22.75 to $29.40.

Altera Corp. (NASDAQ: ALTR) is often considered “the other Xilinx” by investors although Altera’s market cap is $11.2 billion versus $7.36 billion for Xilinx.  Altera closed down 0.5% at $35.81 versus a 52-week range of $20.89 to $38.14 and its shares are down 3.3% at $34.64 in the after-hours.

We took a look through the Xilinx 10-K and the company had noted, “We expect increased competition from our primary PLD competitors, Altera Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor, and Actel Corporation from the ASIC market.

Investors should also know the following from its 10-K: “Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) distributes the substantial majority of our products worldwide. No end customer accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues in fiscal 2010, 2009 or 2008. As of April 3, 2010 and March 28, 2009, Avnet accounted for 83% and 81% of the Company’s total accounts receivable, respectively. Resale of product through Avnet accounted for 49%, 55% and 61% of the Company’s worldwide net revenues in fiscal 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.”

We are not going to jump the gun here on deciding exactly which component of the wireless customers are pushing orders back because Xilinx is involved in many aspects of communication.  Carriers are always trying to push out cap-ex spending when they can and sometimes even when they should not.  Still, either this is a sign of broader problems or the company is losing business and not communicating that properly.  Either scenario is bad for investors.

Interestingly enough, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC) closed up 3% at $5.93 and its last seen print was up 1% at $5.99. Actel was recently acquired by Microsemi Corporation (NASDAQ: MSCC).  Microsemi closed up 1.8% at $23.75 and is indicated as unchanged in the after-hours session.

JON C. OGG

Anadigics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANAD) Raised to Buy at Needham.
ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) Cut to Neutral at HSBC.
Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) Reiterated Buy and target raised to $115 at Goldman Sachs.
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC) Cut to Neutral at Baird.
Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) Started as Buy at Jefferies.
Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) Raised to Buy at Jefferies.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE: HOT) Started as Buy at Jefferies
Union Pacific Corp. (NYSE: UNP) Cut to Neutral at Baird; Raised to Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) Cut to Hold at Soleil.

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JON C. OGG

DigitalGlobe, Inc. (NYSE: DGI) is surging on its news that it entered into a $3.55 billion agreement with NGA effective September 1, 2010 upon expiration of its NextView agreement.  Shares are moving up 10% at $30.61 on this but trading volume remains limited.  The 52-week range is $18.05 to $29.10, so count this as a 52-week high.

Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) is up or down depending upon where you really peg the Friday close.  We had $46 as the prior close but other quote services counted teh 10+% after-hours drop on Friday.  You know the news with Mark Hurd out as Chairman and CEO.  Shares are around $43.25 after a $41.85 exit price in the after-hours Friday.  There have already been over 6 million shares traded this morning.

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC) announced that its CEO was leaving to pursue another opportunity.  Shares are trading down over 5% at $5.15 but trading volume is rather thin.

LJ International Inc. (NASDAQ: JADE) in Hong Kong reported a 47% jump in revenues to $33.0 million and earnings rose to $0.09 EPS from $0.01 in the second quarter of 2009.  Shares are up over 10% at $3.25 on over 30,000 shares.

McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) is hard to EVER imagine as a top day trader stock, but the alerts are on as its same-store sales rose 7%.  This is also now at a 52-week high.  Shares are up 0.9% at $72.36 on about 55,000 shares and the prior 52-week range was $53.88 to $71.84.

Repros Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: RPRX) was only an $11.4 million market cap before this morning’s move. The company reported that it has “received positive written feedback” from the FDA over its drug candidate Androxal for hypogonadal men wishing to preserve fertility.  Shares are trading up 33% at $0.48 on over 125,000 shares.

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. (NYSE: SKH) is trading up sharply after teh company seeks a new trial in a damages verdict.  Jefferies raised the rating to BUY as well based on its chances of getting it reversed.  Shares are up 22% at $3.05 on over 30,000 shares.  Teh 52-week trading range here is $1.43 to $9.36.

Superior Well Services Inc. (NASDAQ: SWSI) is surging after Nabors (NBR) commenced a tender offer for Superior at $22.12 per share in cash.  This is a $900 million deal with approximately a 20% premium.  Shares are trading up 21% at $22.03 on over 8 million shares versus a 52-week trading range of $5.66 to $19.96.

YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) is still whipping around in post-earnings trading.  Shares are trading up 4.7% at $0.33 this morning but we have already seen more than 1 million shares trade hands.

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JON C. OGG

Altera (ALTR) Cut to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Applied Micro Circuits (AMCC) Cut to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
ASML (ASML) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Broadcom (BRCM) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) Cut to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Marvell Tech (MRVL) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
MEMC (WFR) Raised to Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
Micron Technology (MU) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
PMC-Sierra (PMCS) Cut to Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
STMicroelectronics (STM) Raised to Buy at Goldman Sachs.
Xilinx (XLNX) Cut to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.

JON C. OGG

Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC) issued an earnings and revenuewarning last night saying its expects a sequential revenue drop of 12%to 16% rather than flat to -4%.  With shares close to $1.00 this mightbe all in the stock, but it joins the semiconductor warnings game.Shares are up a tad, but less than 1% at $1.28; 52-weektrading range is $1.04 to $4.00.  Stock trades at under tangible bookvalue as long as its cash balances hold up.

United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) predicted that revenue would declineby 3.3% in 2009 and it put earnings at plus or minus 5% and expects theeconomic deterioration to cause a drop in revenues next year.  $4.90 isthe pivot point that is the basis of a +/-5%, and First Call hadestimates at $5.03 for 2009.  Shares are actually up by a fraction of apercent after spending the first 25 minutes of trading and thepre-market in negative territory.

Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) guided for earnings to come at a loss of-$0.35 to -$0.40 versus $0.15 First Call consensus estimates.  What thecompany said was that it believes the drop in scrap metals has run itscourse and may start to improve. Wall Street is trusting this as sharesare up less than 1% at $10.85.  Its 52-week trading range is $5.18 to$40.92.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE: FUL) warned and gave guidance of $0.24 EPS versus$0.39 First Call consensus estimates.  The adhesives and chemicals company said revenues were put at roughly$350 million, versus $367.58 million as the First Call consensus.Shares are down 1.5% at $13.84.

Waters Corp. (NYSE: WAT) is one of the few which is trading way off onearnings warning.  The analytical instrument manufacturer warned thatrevenue and earnings would be under expectations as new orders werenot completed.  Waters sees revenue at $410 million to $420 million for thequarter, yet analysts were looking for almost $450 million and thelowest estimate was $441 million.  This one has also taken four analystdowngrades this morning from Deutsche Bank, Leerink Swann, Baird, andCowen.  Shares are down 16% at $35.14.

Based upon what we are seeing from the trends in earnings warnings, if a company is only going to fall short of estimates by 10% or 15% then they better get that data out while Wall Street is still in a decent mood before the holiday bills and pink slips coincide with each other in January and February.  We did not include the financial firms nor any companies who are entirely tied to the auto industry in any of this analysis.  The reasons should be evident as to why.

Jon C. Ogg
December 12, 2008

• Aegon (NYSE: AEG)
• Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD)
• Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD)
• Chartered Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CHRT)
• Chipotle Mexicann Grill (NYSE: CMG)
• CVR Energy (NYSE: CVI)
• Gehl Company (NASDAQ: GEHL)
• 51Job inc.. (NASDAQ: JOBS)
• Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX)
• Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC)
• McClatchy (NYSE: MNI)
• Micron Tech (NYSE: MU)
• Mine Safety Appliances (NYSE: MSA)
• New Frontier (NASDAQ: NOOF)
• Ryland Group (NYSE: RYL)
• THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI)
• Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ: VMED)
• William Sonoma (NYSE: WSM)

Jon C. Ogg
July 28, 2008

Chip and tech stocks on 52-week lows: AMAT, AMD, ADTN, ARRS, ATML, BBND, CHRT, FCS, FEIC, IDTI, IM, KLAC, KLIC, LRCX, LSCC, LSI, MCRL, MRVL, MU, NSM, STM, TER, XLNX

Financial Giants on 52-Week lows: BAC, BBT, BSC, CYN, DFG, EFX, FIC, FITB, FHN, MCO, NCC, PNSN, SNV, SBP, WFC, ZION.

We kept the REIT’s and the usual suspects in retail off the list that have been here day in and day out (although many hit new 52-week lows).  Here is the huge list of others 52-week lows:

• Automatic Data (ADP), Cardinal Health (CAH), Career Education (CECO), Diebold (NYSE: DBD), EchoStar (DISH), Superior Offshore (DEEP), Dow Chemical (DOW), Eastman Kodak (EK), Emmis (EMMS), Ford (F), Fortune Brands (FO), General Motors (GM), Hasbro (HAS), Helen of Troy (HELE), Interpublic (IPG), Mattel (MAT), McClatchy (MNI), Media General (MEG), Nortel Networks (NT), Owens Corning (OC), Paychex (OPAYX), PHH Corp. (PHH), Playboy (PLA), Radio Shack (RSH), Rite Aid (RAD), Sherwin Williams (SHW), Sprint Nextel (S), Starbucks (SBUX), Starwood Hotels (HOT), Sun Microsystems (JAVA), Symantec (SYMC), Travelzoo (TZOO), VF Corp (VFC), Warner Music Group (WMG), Waste Management (WMI), Weight Watchers (WTW), Wendy’s (WEN)

Imagine how large this list would have been if retailers and REIT’s were included.
Jon C. Ogg
January 2, 2008