Asian Chipmakers May Fall, Led by Korea's Samsung, Japan's NEC

By Laura Lai

Seoul, Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Asian chipmakers such as Korea's Samsung Electronics Co., Japan's NEC Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. may fall on concern about waning computer demand, after Apple Computer Inc. said earnings won't meet expectations.

Apple, the maker of iMac personal computers, said Friday fiscal fourth-quarter profit will disappoint investors, citing slow worldwide sales in September, usually a lucrative time for computer makers as students return to school.

A report that Intel Corp. will delay shipment of a new computer chip added to losses.

The GICC Board is experiencing technical problems. To read the entire report go to:

http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?ptitle=Top%20Financial%20News&s1=blk&tp=ad_topright_topfin&T=markets_bfgcgi_content99.ht&s2=blk&bt=ad_position1_topfin&middle=ad_frame2_topfin&s=AOdaqbRTFQXNpYW4g

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), September 30, 2000

Answers

These three are the chip bigies of Asia. If they fall, it could set a chain of falling dominoes in motion that could conceivably tumble NASDAQ.

Personally, I'm scared to death of the October stock market coming up, and have already run for cover--the safety of U.S. government bonds.

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), September 30, 2000.

The Intel delays have been going on all year. They just get worse and worse.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), October 01, 2000.

Didn't I hear or read someplace where Samsung is particularly weak? I think it was described as taking no more than the tweak of a finger nail to knock the whole company flat.

-- QMan (qman@c-zone.net), October 01, 2000.

Also, I think I read somewhere where U.S. hedge funds are heavily into Asian chip makers.

That doesn't sound too good, does it?

-- QMan (qman@c-zone.net), October 01, 2000.

The word, fall, is a rather harsh one to describe what might happen to a manufacturing company. Why would this be said about three companies just because of a contraction, probably temporary, in their market?

This just doesn't quite make sense to ol' Buck.

-- Buck (bigbuck@trailways.net), October 01, 2000.

I am kind of perplexed over this, too.

-- Nancy7 (nancy7@hotmail.com), October 01, 2000.

Earlier in the year word was that y2k was proving to be a factor in Asian chip production -- I wonder how true that was -- and if we are about to pay the Piper now.

-- RogerT (rogerT@c-zone.net), October 01, 2000.

We won't have long to wait to find out. October, the trational horror month for the Stock Market is upon us. The next 30 days will tell.

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), October 01, 2000.