IQE is the leading global outsource supplier of customized epitaxial wafers to the semiconductor industry.

Their technology is of most advanced like AFM means Atomic Force Microscopy and moves a minuscule cantilever over an objects surface, a sharp tip passes over dips or rises punched in the surface and reads out digital information. This technology is not going to slow down it is going to speed up and has to replace most existing forms of memory storage by virtue of capacity and size.

The future of nano-technology, these tiny/minute robots would need very small processors and most sure strained silicon could provide these.

The low share price is due to uncertainty as to when the cash will run out, but I don't think this will happen as cash is of 12 to 15M and NAV of 30p, and losses are going to drop on the next 3 month and we could have profits on the Q4 2004.

Latest news from the Chairman were" The Group remains confident that it is in a strong position within the outsourcing market, although the protection of its cash position is paramount.
With a broad product portfolio allowing the customer base to use IQE as a 'one stop shop', a large available production capacity and a strong balance sheet, the Board believes the Group will benefit strongly as the overall semiconductor industry recovers and will continue to strengthen its position as the leading outsource supplier of advanced wafer products to the sector. "

Nearly all the recent results have been encouraging. Q4 accounts are being completed (30th Dec 2002). IQE know where they stand, if things had got worse their would have been a trading statement by now, and with Amberwave (IQE's partner) increasing its Asian presence, this is a bullish trend and a good point to pick up the shares @ 4.25p

Intraday

5 month MA and Indicators

I'm as interested in the volume to bolster the 'breakaway gap' probability.

Start of mass market VCSEL ramp-up

Interesting! Thanks Skinny.

Volume coming off yesterday and today - gap exhaustion maybe?

I was exhausted after the last time I took the kids to gap. Oh sorry, wrong gap!

Analysts believe that advanced semiconductor wafers designer IQE (IQE:AIM) will supply technology in the soon to launch iPhone 8. As flagged by Shares a month ago, this could have huge ramifications for the company’s future earnings.

‘We have wondered previously whether IQE may be part of the supply chain for the new iPhone,’ explains Canaccord’s Paul Morland. The company’s announcement of a ‘mass-market ramp for VCSEL wafers marks an inflection point in the commercialisation of this technology,’ appears to effectively confirm this.

VCSEL means vertical cavity surface-emitting laser technology, and area in which IQE is thought to be a world leader. The technology looks likely to be used in state-of-the-art 3D sensing and gesture recognition functionality.

Optimistic forecasts seen by Shares imply the potential for a three to four-fold jump in current 3.7p to 3.8p of earnings per share (EPS) next year to 31 December 2018. IQE is sensibly playing down potential hype.

‘Management guidance is for modest EPS upgrades to full year 2018 although we believe that the 10th anniversary iPhone opportunity alone could deliver 40%-plus upgrades,’ says N+1 Singer analyst Oliver Knott. That’s still a long way short of Peel Hunt’s best case scenario calculations.

A September launch looks likely for the new Apple smartphone handset, according to respected gadgets website Techradar and other tech sources. IQE shares have advanced upwards of 27% in little more than a week to 107.5p.

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DIRECTOR DEALINGS: IQE CEO And Chairman Sell Shares In Company

IQE PLC said on Friday its chief executive as well as its chairman sold shares in the engineering consultancy company.

AIM-listed IQE said it was notified on Tuesday and Thursday that Chief Executive Andrew Nelson sold 5.8 million shares in the company at a price 106.04 pence each.

The company said it was told on Tuesday that Chairman Godfrey Ainsworth has sold 1.0 million shares at an average price of 105.14p.

Shares in IQE were up 0.3% to 111.88p on Friday.

IQE said the disposals are part of future retirement planning purposes, and in the case of Nelson, the sale was made to secure the required funds to repay an existing loan which was used to buy shares in the company.

The loan is due to be repaid on October 10 and IQE said Nelson intends to repay they loan ahead of this date.

Following the transactions, Nelson's holding comprises of 29.5 shares representing 4.3% of the company's issued share capital, and 3.1 million unexercised fully vested options over shares.

Ainsworth's remaining holding comprises 2.2 million shares representing 0.3% of IQE's issued share capital.

In addition, Nelson has 7.5 million share options, which vest in January 2019 subject to performance criteria.

So he borrowed money from his company, to buy shares in his company, some of which he then sold at a profit to repay the loan??? What if the share price had stayed down?
The company would have taken the hit for the default when the loan became due?
I wish I could buy shares like that. No capital outlay from me and loads of profit when the sp goes up, with a possible risk of making a loss on the deal, but as I already own 29.5 million shares, I can afford it!!!

1 million shares traded in the first 10 minutes....

5000 of those were mine, ha ha
what a start
topped up yesterday to.

IQE must surely be a beneficiary of AAPL's good results ..... happily i hold both

Telegraph article on Saturday,may move SP on Monday!

Managed to buy @ 111.45p

Director Dealings

Cardiff, UK. 7(th) August 2017: IQE plc has been informed by Dr Drew
Nelson, CEO, that he has transferred an aggregate of 1,000,000 ordinary
shares of 1 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") to several family members on
4 August 2017 for nil consideration (the "Transactions"). The family
members are not deemed to be closely associated persons ("PCA"). Dr
Nelson's shareholding following the transfer is 27,446,913 shares

Post the Transactions, Dr Nelson's total holding comprises of 28,459,218
Ordinary Shares (which includes 18,000,000 shares that are subject to an
obligation to repurchase as part of a loan agreement announced on 13
November 2014), representing 4.16% of the Company's issued share capital,
and 3,145,433 unexercised fully vested options over Ordinary Shares. In
addition, Dr Nelson has 7,532,962 share options, which vest in January
2019 subject to performance criteria.

more.....

Over 1 million shares traded
Up 4%

bought more today, profits on bal sheet on the horizen long time coming , but now
all in place for a sustained rise to 200p 2018 BB

A post from "Dave Sweeney" early this morning............

Who are going to be the new iPhone component suppliers - you bet on the right company and you will reap the dividends.

Remember we are ALREADY present in the iPhone and most other 4G LTE Smartphones- the higher the complexity, the greater the need for compound Semiconductors- that complexity will increase with the next strata of 4G LTE 1GHZ Global roaming Smartphonenes leading up to 5G when CS will be ubiquitous not only in the phone itself but also in the connectivity infrastructure of base- stations. At that level I fully expect us to be a major component in the front- end filters- that is a HUGE market and WILL quadruple our wireless income.

On Skyworks' (IQE's BIGGEST CUSTOMER)July 20th earnings call, CEO Liam Griffin said his company "[feels] really good" about where it stands content-wise with Apple (referred to as "our largest customer"). Note that in the last quarter Skyworks did 40% of their business with Apple, gotta be good for IQE.

Our 2nd biggest customer, QORVO, might also see RF content gains with the iPhone 8 and 7S. However, the company's mobile sales skew more towards Samsung and Chinese OEMs than Apple.

Broadcom are likely to be a big player in the new phone especially if it's purported wireless charging chip is included- I don't think we supply this company with their components for the iPhone , but we can't win them all.

The BIGGIE for IQE of course is the 3D sensing companies that will supply Apple with facial recognition and AR abilities. Currently , most are betting that Lumentum and Finisair have got the gig, with Hynix believed to supply the WLO - wafer level optics, to support the camera 3D - depth sensing. Many analysts are now thinking not just one but 2 of the cameras will require VCSEL laser technology :-) ( forward and back)

We then have TOF autofocus again needing VCSEL lasers - STMicro and Infineon are likely suppliers.

The KEY THING is that all these companies supplying lasers are NEW suppliers to APPLE , Skyworks and Qorvo have been in since the iPhone was originated. once in , they are likely to be main- stays if their modules perform and the companies are able to guarantee volume and timely production with enough capacity.

At present very few analysts are talking about who will be the VCSEL WAFER producer , enabling the optical companies above to produce their components, some have tweaked on - it will in large part be IQE ( not totally, but significantly) once they do .....work it out :-)

Would love to be at IQE's investor presentation in Boston today.
Dave

Analyst Presentation

Time / Date: 9.30 am on Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Venue: Instinctif Partners, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ

Cardiff, 10 August 2017: IQE plc (AIM: IQE) the leading global supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry, will be announcing its results for the six months ended 30 June 2017 on Tuesday, 5 September 2017.

Drew Nelson, CEO and Phil Rasmussen, FD will be hosting an analyst presentation at 9.30am on Tuesday, 5 September 2017 at the offices of Instinctif Partners, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ.

That Telegraph article the other day:

iPhone 8 provides lift-off for Welsh tech company IQE


James Titcomb
5 AUGUST 2017 • 7:45PM

A little-known Welsh manufacturer is tipped to be at the centre of the next iPhone’s breakthrough 3D-tracking technology.

IQE, based in Cardiff, makes the special materials that are found in laser ­diodes, which are widely expected to feature in the new Apple handset.

The technology will allow the new iPhone 8, expected to be unveiled next month, to instantly scan its environment to create virtual 3D models of the world around it. The feature is likely to be one of its big selling points, allowing owners to unlock their phone using ­facial recognition.

IQE, which is listed on London’s junior Aim market, has seen its share price treble this year amid growing speculation that a number of new contracts it has signed relate to the iPhone.

The company has an 80pc market share in compound semiconductor wafers, which are faster and more efficient than the silicon wafers used in most sensors and microchips, and are especially suited to carrying light signals.

Drew Nelson, IQE’s chief executive, ­declined to deny or confirm its relationship with Apple. But last month the company said there had been a “significant ramp” in demand for “VCSEL” ­laser components, which would be used for “mass market consumer applications”.

Apple is expected to release three models of the iPhone in September, with the high-end version featuring new technologies such as wireless charging and an edge-to-edge screen. The 3D sensor is likely to be used for facial recognition or augmented reality applications.

Apple is expected to rely on a number of laser suppliers but several are believed to be buying wafers from IQE.

The Welsh company, founded in 1988, has ramped up production in recent months to match a leap in demand. The company listed at the height of the dotcom bubble and crashed the year after, but its share price has multiplied in the last year, valuing IQE at more than £800m.

Oliver Knott, an analyst at N+1 Singer, said its value could continue to rise if other smartphone manufacturers followed Apple in adding 3D sensors to phones, or if the company included them in the iPad.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/08/05/new-iphone-could-spell-huge-returns-welsh-tech-wizards/