TXN: What is TI Smoking To See 20 pct Handset Unit Growth? (TXN)

By William Trent, CFA of Stock Market Beat

TI sees 2007 global cellphone unit sales up 20 pct | Technology | Technology | Reuters.co.uk

Global sales of mobile phones are expected to grow to between 1.1 billion and 1.2 billion units in 2007, up as much as 20 percent from about 1 billion units sold last year, a Texas Instruments (TXN.N: Quote, Profile , Research) official said on Friday. “We are optimistic on the growth momentum of low-price mobile phones,” Terry Cheng, the president of Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) Asia, told Reuters on the sidelines of a seminar in Taipei. TI is the world’s biggest cellphone chip maker.”The company has shipped large amounts of chips for low-price mobile phones since November and December last year, which will help boost our business significantly this year,” he said.

Um… shipments in November and December boosted last year’s business. You aren’t allowed to count them twice. And as to market growth, they seem way too high.

In October Merrill Lynch forecast about 950 million units for 2006 and less than 10% growth in 2007. That takes you to maybe 1.05 billion. That was also in line with an industry forecaster’s predictions.

At least we’ll give credit to TI for going out on a limb.

The author may hold a position in the securities discussed. The author’s current holdings are as follows: Long: Union Pacific (UNP) put options; Air Products (APD) put options; Nasdaq 100 (QQQQ) put options; FedEx (FDX) put options; Bookham (BKHM; Ballard Power (BLDP); Syntax Brillian (BRLC); CMGI (CMGI); Genentech (DNA); Ion Media Networks (ION); Three Five Systems (TFS); IShares Japan (EWJ); StreetTracks Gold (GLD); Starbucks (SBUX); U.S. Oil Fund (USO); Plantronics (PLT) call options; Short: Starbucks (SBUX) call options; Landstar (LSTR) put options; Ceradyne (CRDN) put options; Dell (DELL) put options; Plantronics (PLT) put options;

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