Samsung preliminary earnings miss does not alter Stifel thinking on Micron

After Samsung Electronics provided a preliminary Q3 earnings update and guided to revenue and operating profit that was below analyst consensus, Stifel analyst Brian Chin told investors that these results do not alter the firm’s thinking post-Micron earnings last month. The firm views Samsung’s weakness as “more self-inflicted and/or known near-term market headwinds” into year-end, where Samsung tends to have higher relative exposure, while adding that it sees leaders remaining focused on advanced technology spending while controlling supply through a near-term lull in the cycle. The firm, which sees the results reinforcing the need for Samsung and Micron to prioritize advanced technology node migrations/ spending, thus putting more competitive gap between themselves and China, keeps a Buy rating on Micron shares.