Chips aren’t the sexiest thing out there — but they’re the magic beans behind all your favorite gadgets.
From old-school chips satisfying new cravings, to the consolidation of Big Chip factories, chips have made major headlines this week. Here’s a recap to satisfy your cravings for salty, silicon-y semiconductors.
AMD may be old, but it’s still got crunch
American Micro Devices is the definition of old-school (its logo hasn’t changed since 1969). But the company was the best-performing stock in the S&P this week. Shares are up 120% in 2018, way more than better-known rivals Nvidia (28%) and Intel (4%).
Micron’s ’Merican Manufacturing
Memory chipmaker Micron Technologies announced yesterday that it will spend $3B to expand a manufacturing facility in Virginia. The Boise-based manufacturer is the 4th-largest chipmaker in the world and one of the few with roots in the US — and the expansion will generate 1.1k new jobs.
Everyone is pulling their chips out of the same bag
Intel and Samsung are fab (they fabricate chips in-house), but until recently “fabless” chipmakers like Qualcomm and Nvidia outsourced to 1 of 2 foundries. One of these, GlobalFoundries, just announced plans to downsize, meaning Taiwan’s TSMC will be getting a lot more business.
Also, people still really like potato chips
That’s right, you’re not the only one who still likes Lay’s: In the past 7 years, the market for good ol’ fried tater chips has grown at a snackable rate of 4%, pushing the global market for potato chips to $28B.