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

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/

Peel Hunt Buy 126.00 105.00 135.00 Reiterates

146.17p = £1B mk?

Have a large holding here.
Average price paid 46p
Going like a train the last few days

Blimey. If it turns out that they don't have a deal with Apple it's not going to be pretty.

The fan will be well and truly covered Harry!

In the mean time.

£8 by Christmas?!😃

as IQE is reaching new highs almost every day, below a 2 weeks old note ...

Neil Campling wrote this on 1st August:-
· Have you heard of IQE?
· Until yesterday we hadn’t. Given it is AIM listed and that as recently as a year ago it had a market cap of just £125M perhaps understandable as to why. What a difference a year makes… it has more than five-bagged since last July. It finally popped up onto our radar after rising 32% yesterday on the back of a very bullish trading statement. **** Mkt Cap is £850m today, Ed

· What does it do?
· IQE is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductor wafer products. Its products are used by major global chip companies to produce the high performance components that enable a wide range of high-tech applications. They have a particular focus on VCSEL Wafers – the key building block for 3D sensors; and as you know we are BULLISH on Semis and Sensors.

· Yesterday in their statement IQE revealed strong growth in H1 2017 revenues and also announced capacity expansion plans to meet higher levels of expected demand in H2 2018. The step change in sales growth, +16% YoY in H1 2017, is mainly driven by growth in photonics sales which, in turn is due to a significant ramp in VCSEL wafers for mass market consumer applications. As mentioned above -VCSEL wafers are the building blocks for 3D sensors.

· While I have missed the run in IQE, if we add what they said yesterday to our findings at Win Semiconductor (Buy)( (also in the VCSEL wafer stack), the capex ramp at both AMS (Buy) and Himax, and the production order for Lumentum then the evidence of where this demand is coming from all leads to the same road in our view: Apple.
· IQE themselves state that we are now at the start of the inflection point of a mass market ramp for VCSEL wafers and the company has secured multiple, multi-year contracts.
· This follows on from what we saw from GaAs IC foundry Win Semiconductors last week, recording record Q2 revenues. Win didn’t have full capacity until late in the quarter with the phase 2 expansion of Fab C, which increased GaAs wafer manufacturing capability by >20%, which did not complete until mid-May. Win’s 6″ VCSEL optical wafers for optical 3D sensors should begin to contribute in 3Q as the demand for 3D sensor solutions in future smartphone models begins to ramp.

· At the WWDC in June Apple revealed the launch of the ARKit (augmented reality software) which allows developers to enable the capabilities of 3D sensing. The shift to 3D sensing can also enable iris scanning to move to the VCSEL laser diode technology, which uses concentrated rays of light increasing accuracy and speed. This, if it occurs, would be yet another application of the 3D sensing technology made possible in high end smartphones. Win Semi’s optical wafer business can benefit from the demand for Win’s customer, Lumentum, who appear to have won the vast majority of the Apple iPhone VCSEL vertically integrated module business. Back in May Lumentum reported that the company received multi-million volume 3D sensing production orders for delivery in the September quarter.

· It now seems like the writing is very much on the wall: 3D sensing is about to go mainstream.

BEST WISHES

perspective posted by grabster on another bb:

"I agree,DS. Some will see this past year's price surge as a reason to wonder if this stock is now exceptionally pricey. It isn't. It's just that it was previously exceptionally cheap and is in the throes of a major upward correction that is still only half done."

re - only half done

It looks like someone is ramping above and it must be exposed
It has double in 3 month from 70 to 146p