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

Just to add the IC comment into the mix:
"IQE boasts a compelling growth story and the prospect of major savings from integrating acquisitions (£7m from 2014 onwards from Koplin). While the divergence between reported profits & cash generation until 2016 does increase risk, on 8.5 times 2014 EPS forecasts, the shares are a speculative buy".

[On the subject of the profits - cash generation, strategic progress has come at a price, albeit one that is not evident from the P/L accounts due to the structure of june's acquisition of RF Micro Devices. The purchase is being paid for by giving price discounts to the buisnesses' former owner until 2016, so while sales are recorded at their full price, the cash cost of the discount showed up as a £8.4m hit to the operating cash flow".]

The continuing price decline can, in my opinion, be only put down to the concerns by some over the Qualcom issue, despite denials to the contrary.
What other explanation is there ?

27/03/13 14:01:42
News Alert for IQE ORD 1P.


Cardiff, UK, 27 March 2013: IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry, has won the prestigious "Company of the Year" title at the inaugural ESTNet awards.

The awards ceremony was organized by ESTNet, the network for organisations in the electronics and software technologies sector

Any news/reason to justify the fall?

Only the Qualcom thing . Nothing else makes any sense.
However, small companies in general seem to be taking a bit of a bashing at the moment.

What is Qualcom thing related to IQE?

Check out post 362 for starters

menorca, tom and several others have all called IQE wrong over the recent past, something seems to be fundamentally wrong with the way the sp is behaving?

I completely agree. Perhaps we can get David Cameron to look into it !!

Its been rather fishy for sometime and to-day is no exception - 3.7 mil sells but 3 mil buys and 2.8 unknown that does not warrant the drop in SP of over 5 % again.

Sods law now in force - IQE only stock in my portfolio which is up to-day - funny old world of finance.

Moving over the 23p of the last few days, the late spike got them at 24.625p though the "AT" was at 24.25p

This stock is ludicrously undervalued

Seems Dr David Grant agrees !

You are right, no wonder it was moving higher with spike yesterday

Director Dealings

IQE plc was informed on 24 April 2013 by Dr David Grant, Senior
Non-Executive Director, that he has purchased 215,000 Ordinary Shares in
IQE on 24 April 2013 at a share price of 23.25 pence per share.
Following this transaction Dr Grant's interest in the Company is 215,000
Ordinary Shares, which represents 0.03% of the voting rights in the
Company.

IQE news before it becomes news

Two companies reporting strong demand for compound wafers. SkyWorks a major customer of IQE and from VPEC a Taiwanese competitor of IQE.

IQE plc : IQE launches new, dedicated infrared ...
HUG
Cardiff, UK, 03 May 2013: IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry, announces the launch of a new division, 'IQE Infrared', which will provide its customers with a complete 'one stop shop' for infrared substrate and epitaxial wafer materials covering short to very long wavelength (SWIR to VLWIR) regimes.

The move is part of an overall rebranding exercise to enable the Group to enhance its customers' experiences in its key markets.

IQE is the world leading supplier of substrates and epitaxial wafers for infrared sensing applications ranging from night vision and thermal imaging devices to energy conversion solutions for both military and consumer products.

The new IQE Infrared division will bring together similar product groups from across IQE's multiple operations to provide a unique focus on infrared detector materials based on gallium and indium antimonide (GaSb and InSb) and indium phosphide (InP).

The group already enjoys a commanding position in the global markets for infrared materials and is highly active in a number of government and industrial research programmes for next generation applications which include the development of larger wafer diameters to meet the expected growth in demand for GaSb, InSb and InP based wafer products.

Dr. Mark J. Furlong, currently General Manager of IQE's substrate divisions, will head the new division which will offer products from across the IQE Group of companies.

Dr. Mark J. Furlong, VP IQE Infrared, said:

"IQE has established a world class position in the supply of infrared materials and is the only supplier offering a complete range of substrate and epitaxial wafer supply solutions spanning SWIR to VLWIR regimes.

"The opportunity to establish a new business unit with an exclusive focus on infrared materials will give IQE better opportunities to combine its substrate and epitaxial wafer products for serving a broader range of customers and even broader range of infrared device applications"

Cardiff, UK. 13 May 2013: IQE plc (AIM: IQE; "IQE", "the Group") announces the launch of gallium nitride based, high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) epitaxial wafers on 150mm diameter semi-insulating silicon carbide (SiC) substrates supplied by the WBG Materials subsidiary of II-VI Inc. (NASDAQ: IIVI), a global provider of engineering materials and optoelectronic components.

GaN power amplifiers offer superior power capability, efficiency, bandwidth and linearity compared with silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based technologies commonly used, providing significant benefits in terms of both higher performance and lower overall system costs.

GaN-based low-noise amplifiers exhibit improved robustness, noise figure and dynamic range when compared to incumbent solutions. In addition, GaN-based transistors can operate at high temperatures, thus reducing system cost, size and weight. As a result, GaN transistors are now established as a leading new technology for a wide range of defence applications.

Introduction of 150mm GaN HEMT epi wafer products also enables cost reduction, customers' production capacity and yield improvement, as well as potential for insertion into a wider range of chip fabrication facilities. To date, commercial market penetration of GaN HEMTs has been limited by the higher cost of epitaxial material grown on 100mm SiC substrates.

GaN HEMT fabrication using LDMOS (laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor) process lines has been demonstrated by IQE's Customers and the Group's 150mm products are compatible with existing LDMOS processing lines that have been made available as a result of the silicon industry's transition to 200mm technology.

Russ Wagner, VP of IQE Wireless Business Unit said:

"Scaling up to 150mm wafer diameter is a critical milestone on the path to technological maturity and wide market acceptance of GaN HEMTs on SiC. IQE has established an industry-leading position by offering a full range of GaN-based high-power RF transistor wafers in formats that enable the most cost-effective processing and system designs.

"We are very pleased with the quali18ty of substrates supplied by II-VI Inc. and look forward to continuing our partnership as we execute volume production ramp and expand IQE's range of advanced high-power high-frequency transistor products for defense and wireless infrastructure applications."

Dr Tom Anderson, General Manager of II-VI Inc. subsidiary WBG Materials, said:

"The WBG Materials subsidiary of II-VI Inc. has developed high quality 4H - 150mm SiC substrates, for both the RF and power markets. These 150mm SiC substrates will greatly reduce device costs by increasing the number of devices produced per wafer, enabling 150mm wafers to be processed using modern, high volume semiconductor tools designed for large wafers and by providing competitive sourcing and leveraging of high volumes into commercial markets.

"Our partnership with IQE in this 150mm product development has enabled rapid technology advances for both Groups and we are looking forward to continuing our work together to deliver this state-of-the-art product to our joint end users."

Contacts:

IQE: Ivan Eliashevich +1 (732) 271-5990
II-VI Incorporated - WBG Materials: Dr. Andy Souzis +1 (973) 227-1551 x66224

Cardiff, UK, 13 May 2013: IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry, announces the launch of a new division, 'IQE Wireless', which will provide its customers with a complete 'one stop shop' for radio frequency (RF), wireless epitaxial wafer materials.

The new brand was launched at the start of CS-Mantech 2013, the leading international conference for compound semiconductor manufacturing technology, running from 13th to 16th May 2013 in New Orleans, LA. The launch is part of an overall branding exercise to enable the Group to enhance its customers' experiences in each of its key markets.

IQE is already firmly established as the world's leading supplier of epitaxial wafers for wireless products, including pHEMTs, HBTs and BiFETs, that provide the key enabling technology for wireless communications for smartphones, tablets, PCs, WiFI, base stations and other wireless devices and equipment.

Vice President Russ Wagner, who has been appointed to head the new wireless division said:

"IQE is clearly acknowledged as the world leading supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers for wireless products and enjoys excellent and close working relationships with customers in the RF space.

"The establishment of a dedicated wireless brand within the Group allows the new division to further focus on enhancing its product offerings and customers' experiences as we continue to grow both our existing business and enter new and emerging markets."

Contacts:

IQE plc (+44 29 2083 9400)
Chris Meadows

Here we go again - down 6 % on what seems like encouraging news - any views ?