Samsung Elec shares showed modest gains despite reports of Intel order

Shares of Samsung Electronics Co. showed a limited reaction to foreign news reports that the South Korean chipmaker may have won its first foundry deal from Intel Corp.

After opening 1.14 percent higher at 89,100 won ($80.9) Friday in Seoul, the stock reduced gains and closed the day down 1.48 percent at 86,800 won.

U.S. chip industry media website SemiAccurate on Wednesday (local time) reported that Samsung Electronics was assigned to produce Intel-designed chips at its foundry in Austin, Texas.

Samsung would be producing 300-mm wafers for a monthly output of 15,000 wafers from the second half of this year, it said, adding that the order was likely for graphics processing units (GPUs) rather than CPUs.

Samsung’s Austin fab uses the 14-nanometer process. To make application processors and CPUs for the latest smartphones, 5nm or 7nm technologies are needed.

Market observers, however, say this partnership could lead Samsung to secure higher value-added deals from Intel in the future.

Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) are the only chipmakers capable of producing 10nm and smaller chips.

Industry experts believe Intel also tapped TSMC to produce its new chips.

Kim Sun-woo, analyst at Meritz Securities, said it’s too early to tell if Samsung and TSMC’s deals with Intel are a sure thing. “If the reports are true, we would be seeing some movement at the Austin fab from the latter half, like new equipment installation,” he added.

Samsung Electronics declined to confirm on the Intel order reports.

Intel last week appointed former VMWare Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger as its new CEO as part of efforts to reorganize its chip business on its weakening competitiveness in manufacturing advanced chips.

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