Author Archives: Scalper1

Is Apple Supplier NXP Semi Looking To Home In On Auto Market?

Apple ( AAPL ) chip supplier NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) could be looking to further focus on the automotive market, as it considers a $2 billion sale of its standard products unit, according to reports. NXP Semi shares jumped as much as 3.8% Friday morning in quick turnover to retake their 200-day moving average. But the stock pared its gains to closed with a 1.8% rise and fell back below the 200-day line. The standard products unit — which consists of transistors, diodes and other standard-chip products — accounted for 20% of NXP Semi’s 2015 sales, but the segment’s revenue fell 3% year-over-year, with an 18% drop in Q4. Chinese firms, including Beijing-based investment firm JAC Capital, are interested in a deal with NXP for the unit, sources told Bloomberg. The move could signal an effort by NXP to further focus on the automotive market, and even products it supplies to smartphone makers, including Apple. NXP became the largest chip supplier to the automotive industry with the completion of its $12 billion merger with smaller peer Freescale Semiconductor in December. At that time, the company said it had plans to lead the auto industry in terms of infotainment, vehicle networking, body, safety and secure access. NXP’s automotive segment revenue jumped 17% last year, boosted by the acquisition, to $1.34 billion. That represents 22% of NXP’s total sales for 2015. NXP, which has an IBD Composite Rating of 81 out of 99, is set to report Q1 earnings on April 25. Analysts expect the bottom line to drop 19% to $1.09 a share, while the top line jumps 51% to $2.21 billion. As NXP stock is trading 27% below its 52-week high, top-rated peer Nvidia ( NVDA ) is sitting just 2% below its recent high. The Tesla Motors ( TSLA ) supplier broke out of a cup-with-handle base several weeks ago and is now extended from buy range. Monolithic Power Systems ( MPWR ) is trading 8% below its high as it works on a base, while Silicon Motion Tech ( SIMO ) is nearing profit-taking zone after a breakout last month. Nvidia closed up 0.65%, Monolithic Power added 0.3%, and Silicon Motion climbed 2.4% Friday. Apple added 0.1%, and Tesla fell 2.8%.

SpaceX Seen As Having Best Shot Landing Booster On Floating Barge

Friday’s planned launch of the Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX has special meaning for two reasons. It’s the first time SpaceX will return to the International Space Station to deliver cargo since its last cargo mission in June resulted in failure, when the second-stage booster exploded about 21 miles high, due to a part failure. It’s also seen as the best shot that SpaceX has at finally sticking the landing of its massive booster rocket on a floating barge on the Atlantic Ocean, after three previous attempts failed. Tesla Motors ( TSLA ) CEO Elon Musk founded SpaceX. It’s based in Hawthorne, Calif., where Musk also has a Tesla facility. In addition to running Tesla and SpaceX, Musk is chairman of SolarCity ( SCTY ). SpaceX did manage to land the booster rocket on land during a launch in December. But the barge landing is far more difficult, and much more important, if SpaceX is able to reuse its rockets on a regular basis. Reusing rockets will enable SpaceX to lower the cost of its launches. The most recent attempt to land the rocket on a barge in March came close but missed the target. In a tweet at the time, Elon Musk said “next flight has a good chance .” At a news conference Thursday, Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of flight reliability for SpaceX, said “We have more confidence in this landing.” The liftoff is scheduled to take place at 4:43 p.m. ET at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. Live countdown coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. The SpaceX Dragon capsule will carry nearly 7,000 pounds of cargo to the space station.

Apple iPhone Encryption Fight With Feds Enters New Phase

Apple ’s ( AAPL ) fight with the federal government over the encryption software on its iPhones only took a short pause after the Justice Department backed down in the San Bernardino, Calif., shooter case. Apple is facing renewed challenges on the issue from several fronts. The Justice Department on Friday said it will continue to seek a court order to require Apple to help it access data from a locked iPhone seized in a New York drug investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported . A judge in the Brooklyn drug case had previously refused to force Apple to help open the iPhone. That case had been overshadowed by the San Bernardino terrorist probe. On March 28, federal prosecutors withdrew their demand that Apple help it hack an iPhone 5C belonging to deceased killer Syed Farook, saying it had found a way to unlock the phone using a third party. But that solution only works on older iPhones, FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday, NBC News reported . Federal law enforcement officials reportedly have at least a dozen criminal investigations in which they are trying to get Apple to unlock iPhones. Apple CEO Tim Cook has maintained that government demands for it to hack its iPhone software would set a dangerous precedent. If Apple is forced to write software to get around its security, it would be creating a back door that criminals, hackers and spies could exploit, he said. That would jeopardize the privacy and security of the personal and financial data on millions of iPhones, Cook said. Meanwhile, Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., are preparing legislation titled the “Compliance With Court Orders Act of 2016.” As drafted, the legislation would require any individual or company to comply with any U.S. court order and hand over data to authorities, including data that is encrypted or made “unintelligible” by other means. Gaurav Laroia, policy counsel with the Free Press Action Fund, called the proposed bill a “massive overreach” by the government. It “would undermine any technology that helps secure people’s private communications,” he said in a statement. Burr and Feinstein “have forgotten the rights guaranteed to Americans under the Constitution,” Laroia said. Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, also slammed the proposed bill. He said the bill would force companies to create workarounds for their software, even when it is the customer who controls the encryption keys.