There's no doubt that chip stocks are a hot commodity these days. National Semiconductor
National saw sales rise 10% over last quarter to $345 million, while also growing gross margins to 65.3% -- a sequential boost of 420 basis points. Retiring CEO Brian Halla and incoming leader Don Macleod explained that the focus so far has been on strengthening gross margins, which means disciplined pricing and manufacturing. Going forward, since National has hit a comfortable margin range, it's all about growing sales. This is a turning point in National's strategy.
The margin focus explains why National's sales have not kept up with the revenue pace that competitors like Texas Instruments
National is a premium provider of power-management chips for sectors like cell phones, LED lighting solutions, and automotive applications. There are National chips in every Apple
Given that National also sports stronger gross margins than its chief competitors, the company looks ready to boost both sales and income in this blossoming market over the coming quarters. National's manufacturing lines are running at a mere 46% of full capacity, so it should be easy to pick up the slack as order volumes return to full health.
Despite all the positives, National is just a two-star CAPS stock today. I think it deserves better. You can help me correct this problem by grabbing a free CAPS account and giving National a thumbs-up rating today. Or, you know, the exact opposite if you think I'm wrong.