We Like Verigy’s Prospects Better

Article Excerpt

VERIGY LTD. $23.41 (Nasdaq symbol VRGY; SI Rating: Speculative) (1-800-447-8378; www.verigy.com; Shares outstanding: 58.8 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion) designs and makes test systems used in computer-chip production. Verigy’s revenues in the three months ended July 31, 2007 fell 4.7%, to $204 million from $214 million a year earlier. Excluding one-time charges, it earned $0.52, down 23.5% from $0.68. Revenues and profits slowed due to overall weakness in the semiconductor test industry from a year earlier. But thanks to its balanced product portfolio, revenues in the latest three months were up 11% from $183 million in the prior quarter ended April 30, and earnings per share rose 38.9% from $0.36. Verigy operates in a highly competitive and increasingly cyclical field. But it’s a growing market. For example, flash memory chips developed for use in digital cameras are now increasingly used in mobile phones, media devices like Apple’s iPod and USB flash drives. Future uses will likely include memory in personal computers. The company…