Is Linear A Canary Or A Duck?

Linear Technology (Nasdaq:LLTC) has long suffered from a decided lack of analyst support and enthusiasm. Despite an extensive record of strong financial performance, the company has never put to rest the doubts that its high margins will be whittled away by the likes of Analog Devices (NYSE:ADI), Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN), Maxim (Nasdaq:MXIM) and a host of foreign and smaller competitors. 

Now, another worry comes into play - whether or not Linear can maintain its business, and whether customers over-ordered during the early stages of this economic recovery. With Linear looking for a sequential drop in revenue into the last calendar quarter of this year, the question is whether Linear is the canary in the coal mine for broad-based analog chip demand, or simply an odd duck with its own unique ship-ahead problems.

The Quarter That WasAll in all, Linear did more or less as expected in its fiscal first quarter. Revenue rose 6% on a sequential basis, and 65% on an annual basis. Gross margins ticked up sequentially by about 60 basis points, and while reported operating margin fell a bit, adjusted operating margin (excluding a legal charge) would have increased sequentially.


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