Cavium (Nasdaq: CAVM) looks like a good long-term proposition. Despite some short-term headwinds, I remain upbeat about the company's prospects.
Turning the tables
In its fourth-quarter report, Cavium noted that its Enterprise and Service Networks business experienced softness due to macroeconomic uncertainties. In addition, the company's major customer, Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO), was restructuring its business, resulting in lower orders. But now, it seems that both these factors are turning in Cavium's favor.
With Cisco's restructuring in place, I expect Cavium will see orders flow in. Moreover, Cavium already has contract wins worth $600 million in the pipeline, and this gives me some hope for a quicker turnaround. Analysts at J.P. Morgan project that the company's revenue will grow 20% annually in the long run. That's reassuring!
Innovations make a difference
What really adds to Cavium's credentials are its innovation and product development moves. The company spent almost 40% more on research and development than last year, and has come out with a cutting-edge product. Its latest OCTEON III processor, powered by MIPS Technologies' MIPS64(R) architecture, promises enhanced performance at lower cost and can be applied across a variety of areas, such as cloud computing, infrastructure equipment, and routers, among others. This chip will probably help Cavium gain more customers and spin more revenue in the future.
The company's capability to innovate has also helped it gain some momentum in its wireless display business. Acer's newly released WiView monitors will be powered by Cavium processors. In addition, the company is collaborating with Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) subsidiary Qualcomm Atheros to develop wireless TV adapters. These moves will probably provide more thrust to the top line, and also take some stress off its Enterprise segment.
The Foolish takeaway
Cavium missed the Street's revenue expectations in the just-concluded quarter by a whisker, but it did beat the Street on earnings per share. However, with the industry showing signs of revival and a strong pipeline to complement this, I believe the company can get its top line back in acceleration mode.
It would make sense to hold on to Cavium and reap the benefits when it gets going. In case you still doubt the company's potential, you may add Cavium to your Watchlist and track its progress.
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