Spiking inventory on its own can be a huge red flag. It's not a good sign when warehouses start filling up because the company can't sell its wares.
But when you combine rising inventory with revenues on a pogo stick, you're more likely looking at a conscious effort to manage the business differently. And when gross margins also are reaching new highs at the same time, you have a winning combo: strong sales, strong pricing policies, and shorter delivery lead times out of stuffed warehouses to inspire even more customer confidence.
That's what's happening for Atmel
It's all part of a concerted effort to bring down inflated lead times from the manufacturing constrained days of 2010. Atmel has stepped up its capital expenditures in recent quarters to build up its manufacturing and chip testing facilities, and this is how it all pays off.
The main reason for this strategy shift is the demand Atmel sees for its maXTouch touchscreen controllers. HTC started using that high-end Atmel chip in the Droid Incredible and continued with Sprint Nextel
In short, top-of-the-line mobile computing gadgets not emblazoned with an Apple logo most likely come with Atmel's touchscreen controllers inside. I'd be ramping up my manufacturing lines, too, given that pleasant position.
That said, Atmel's stock doesn't come cheap. Trading at 27 times trailing non-GAAP earnings and 4.5 times sales puts Atmel in the nosebleed section when compared with more affordable rivals Fairchild Semiconductor
The touchscreen controller market is becoming a two-horse race between Atmel and Cypress Semiconductor