Microchip Technology Bumps Along The Bottom

I’ve been writing for a little while now that I thought the semiconductor rally was ahead of itself, and that between ambitious expectations for a second half bounce, high inventories, shrinking lead-times, and ongoing uncertainty with trade relations with China, there were a lot of factors in play that could blunt the “V-shaped” rally so many investors seemed to be counting on. To that end, I thought Microchip Technology (MCHP) shares were ahead of themselves in the short term back in February, and the shares are now pretty much flat versus that last article.

With Microchip revising down for the fourth time, and blaming it largely on the tariff issue, I wonder if this will be the moment of reckoning for the larger chip space. Either way, I still see some downside risk over the near term. Specific to Microchip, I do like the business and management’s active approach to inventory management and M&A, even if I think they are occasionally too bullish on guidance. High debt is a risk (almost 8x my FY20 FCF estimate), and the shares don’t look like a margin bargain on short-term metrics, but I’d keep an eye on any sell-off, as I think the shares can go higher over the long term.

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Microchip Technology Bumps Along The Bottom