Tell it to me slowly
Tell you what?
I really want to know
It's the time of the season for earnings!
-- With apologies to The Zombies for messing around with their 1968 hit "Time of the Season"
Ah yes, it's time to focus on a steady stream of earnings reports once again. By time-honored tradition, semiconductor giant Intel
The market for computer-brain microprocessors may be turning around already, though. Technology research outfit Gartner
But Intel held steady throughout the year. The company is making up in volume what it's losing on average selling prices. While the company has experienced a slight dip in revenue recently, there's some upside to the situation. Intel's overall revenue slump comes partially from spinning out its huge flash memory operations into Numonyx, a joint venture with STMicroelectronics
On a more positive note, Intel's new products appear to be taking off. Low-cost, low-power "netbooks" from the likes of Hewlett-Packard
All told, Intel remains a class act with solid assets and prospects. I believe in an upturn before autumn, and if we're anywhere near the bottom of this market, Intel looks like a safe bet to make you long-term profits. Many of the same market conditions also play into the hands of archrival Advanced Micro Devices
Let's see what Intel says on Tuesday. This could be the beginning of the end of this semiconductor crash. With its new innovative processor lines and savvy use of capital during the downturn, look for Intel to lead the way out of the deep market depths.
Further Foolishness: