Why Micron can still ‘shine’ despite its downbeat earnings forecast

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Even aft delivering a November forecast that was considerably little than analysts were expecting, Micron Technology Inc. is “setting up arsenic a sanction to ain into 2022,” successful the presumption of 1 analyst.

Shares of Micron MU, -2.02% are disconnected astir 1% successful Wednesday greeting trading following the downbeat outlook, but respective analysts came retired of Micron’s latest net study with optimistic takes connected what lies up erstwhile the memory-chip institution gets past short-term issues successful the personal-computer market. Micron Chief Executive Sanjay Mehrotra flagged that immoderate PC makers were adjusting their representation and retention purchases fixed shortages of different components, but the institution inactive expects “record gross with coagulated profitability” successful the existent fiscal twelvemonth that conscionable began.

“Big picture, each 3 DRAM makers are consenting to physique inventory and contemplate slowing [capital expenditures], which gives america assurance that this correction volition beryllium short-lived and that [supply/demand] volition beryllium successful equilibrium oregon choky passim each of CY22,” wrote Evercore ISI’s C.J. Muse, the expert who liked Micron’s prospects heading into 2022.

Muse argued that investors volition travel to favour “names wherever excess inventory is much easy understood” and wherever companies person allowed for a “reset” of statement estimates. “In this environment, look for Micron to shine,” helium wrote, portion maintaining an outperform standing and $100 terms people connected Micron’s stock.

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Raymond James expert Chris Caso took a akin view. “Our instrumentality is that if the slowdown remains constrained to PC—and if PC doesn’t get worse—we deliberation the DRAM manufacture tin support a steadfast supply/demand balance,” helium wrote. “Given the pullback successful the stock, we deliberation that creates a favorable risk/reward,” with Micron shares trading astatine 7.5 times his caller earnings-per-share estimates for fiscal 2022.

Caso has a beardown bargain standing and $100 people terms connected the shares.

Rosenblatt Securities expert Hans Mosesmann wrote that determination continues to beryllium “unusually beardown demand” for PCs, specified that the PC marketplace volition “likely spot unseasonal trends successful 1H22” owed to a precocious fig of unfulfilled orders.

“The carnivore lawsuit of PC DRAM prices starring to an wide extremity of rhythm illness either did not play retired oregon Micron did not get the memo,” helium wrote, portion reiterating a bargain standing and Street-high $165 terms people connected the shares. “Margins would beryllium collapsing and inventories bloating; they are not.”

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Cowen & Co. expert Karl Ackerman called the company’s guidance reset “the close medicine required for galore connected the sidelines,” though helium noted that “there are a mates unknowns entering the archetypal fractional that whitethorn not yet afloat dispel the carnivore case.” He kept an outperform standing connected the shares and lowered his terms people to $80 from $90.

“We could spot however immoderate investors mightiness construe the inventory physique arsenic a measurement to enactment the company’s pricing strategy,” Ackerman wrote. “Even if this were the case, 1 could reason MU surely could clasp connected to inventory a spot longer fixed caller server platforms successful F22 should soak up immoderate excess DRAM bits successful stock.”

Micron shares person mislaid 12% implicit the past 3 months, the aforesaid clip successful which the S&P 500 SPX, +0.42% has risen 2%.

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