Specialty microchips can be a confusing market at times. On the same day that Monolithic Power Systems
Who do you believe?
The easy answer is that each company stands alone -- the relative bleakness or sunshine of their reports should say something about who's a strong competitor and who isn't. ON claims to be taking market share in some product categories, and Monolithic would surely never cop to losing share but could very well be one of the victims.
In the third quarter, ON boosted GAAP earnings from $0.07 to $0.20 per share year-over-year while sales grew by 27% to $601 million. The company is in the midst of buying Sanyo Semiconductor from Sanyo parent Panasonic
Will the Sanyo deal transform ON from a middle-of-the-pack performer into a power-control powerhouse? Only time will tell as the end result depends on a painless integration process. Add ON to your Foolish watchlist to keep a close eye on how this marriage plays out.