Chipmaker’s mobile pullback pays off

Article Excerpt

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. $54 (Nasdaq symbol TXN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $54.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.3; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ti.com) gets 65% of its revenue from analog chips, which convert inputs like touch, sound and pressure into signals computers can understand. Manufacturers use these chips in a variety of products, such as cars, medical devices and appliances. The company gets a further 20% of its revenue by making embedded processor chips, which perform mathematical calculations. Many clients supply their own software for these chips. This gives Texas Instruments an opportunity to form long-term relationships with these users, as it helps them adapt their software to the new chips. That makes these customers less likely to switch to other chipmakers. Handheld calculators, specialized chips and licensing fees provide the remaining 15% of revenue. Earnings rise, costs fall Intense competition from other chipmakers has prompted Texas Instruments to stop making…