NVIDIA bucks trend
Earnings up at NVIDIA despite shrinking market share
Almost all of the world's semiconductor companies may be having a tough year, but NVIDIA seems to be having a fine old time of it, if its second quarter figures are anything to go by. Sales worth $260.3 million made during the three months to July 29th ensured a healthy $50.1 million pre-tax profit. Factor in tax and other expenses and one-off items, and NVIDIA's actual income for the period comes to $33.6 million (39 cents a share). That's an increase of a fraction over 49 per cent on Q2 2000's actual earnings of $22.5 million (28 cents a share). Revenues were up 53 per cent on the year-ago quarter's sales of $170.4 million.
Looking ahead it's hard to see much of a change through the rest of 2001, despite NVIDIA's desktop market share falling 13% in the second quarter of the year, according to Mercury Research figures, and the cost of developing its nForce chipset, which isn't expected to sell in large quantities until next year. Still, NVIDIA's own prediction for the full year doesn't include whatever the company may make out of the Xbox (delays notwithstanding), so good sales there will be a bonus. In the meantime, NVIDIA plans to split its stock on a two-for-one basis, the company said yesterday.