Sequential uptick of 11% in global semiconductor sales in third quarter of 2020, as reflected in the latest data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), is expected to have driven top-line performance of chip stocks this earnings season.

Further, promising trends in PC shipments in third-quarter of calendar 2020, which per IDC data, improved 14.6% year over year to 81.3 million units, is expected to have acted as a tailwind. (Read More: PC Sales Continue Benefiting From COVID-19 Pandemic-Led Demand)

Markedly, strength in data center markets courtesy of rapid adoption of cloud computing solutions, triggered by coronavirus-induced work-from-home wave and online learning trends deserves a special mention.

Also, as economies reopen and lockdowns ease, chip companies are focusing on utilizing full capacity of their facilities, which may have bolstered sales.

Demand revival in China, 5G boom, gains from NAND pricing trends, recovery across automotive end-market and uptick in smartphone sales in third quarter are expected to have contributed to the chip companies’ quarterly performance.

Notably, per latest Canalys data, worldwide smartphone shipments hit 348 million units in third-quarter 2020, up 22% on a sequential basis, reflecting demand recovery.

The aforementioned factors might have driven sales of processors utilized in enterprise laptops, data center servers, notebooks, and smartphones, which in turn is expected to have benefited the chip stocks in the to-be-reported quarter.

Besides, momentum in gaming, wearables, drones and VR/AR devices has been fueling massive growth in the semiconductor space.

Nevertheless, impacts from coronavirus-led sluggishness in IT spending, and broad-based macroeconomic weakness are likely to have weighed on the chip companies’ performance in the quarter under review.

A Sneak Peek on Few Upcoming Earnings Releases

Investors interested in the semiconductor domain, are eagerly awaiting quarterly reports from notable companies like Microchip Technology Incorporated (MCHP Quick QuoteMCHP - Free Report) , Synaptics Incorporated (SYNA Quick QuoteSYNA - Free Report) , MaxLinear, Inc. (MXL Quick QuoteMXL - Free Report) and MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (MTSI Quick QuoteMTSI - Free Report) , which are slated to report quarterly results on Nov 5.

Microchip’s second-quarter fiscal 2021 results are likely to reflect robust adoption of microcontrollers amid uptick in demand across medical end-market.

With easing of lockdowns and relaxation of shelter-in-place guidelines, the company is expected to have gained from business recovery across automotive and industrial end markets. (Read More: Microchip to Post Q2 Earnings: Is a Beat in the Cards?)
 

Moreover, this semiconductor company has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an Earnings ESP of +4.01%. Notably, per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal second-quarter earnings has been steady over the past 30 days at $1.42 per share.

Synaptics' first-quarter fiscal 2021 performance is likely to have benefited from a healthy backlog of $257 million, as noted by management in its last earnings call. Apart from solid bookings, a growing customer base, rebound in smartphone market, and healthy product sell-in and sell-through patterns are expected to have acted as key growth drivers.

Notably, Synaptics is a display component supplier of Apple (AAPL Quick QuoteAAPL - Free Report) , which witnessed a decline in iPhone sales in the September quarter. This is likely to have impacted Synaptics as well. Nevertheless, the launch of the new 5G-supported iPhones is likely to have acted as a tailwind.

Further, the company’s market-leading position for both touchpads and secure fingerprint sensors in the PC market makes us optimistic regarding the impending quarterly release. The new design momentum with its OLED touch sensors is also likely to have benefited the top line during the to-be-reported quarter.

However, weakness in automotive domain may have weighed on the fiscal first-quarter performance.

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Synaptics this time around. Although, it has a Zacks Rank #2, an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, makes surprise prediction difficult. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal first-quarter earnings has been steady over the past 30 days at $1.70 per share.

MaxLinear’s third-quarter 2020 results are likely to reflect gains from uptick in demand across the broadband data access market, and multiple product lines. Notably, remote working trends have triggered demand for access data bandwidth and its in-home distribution, which leverages multigigabit Wi-Fi.

Further, sequential improvement in infrastructure business is expected to have favored performance in the quarter to be reported. Synergies from acquisition of Intel’s (INTC Quick QuoteINTC - Free Report) Home Gateway Platform Division and NanoSemi buyout, remains noteworthy.

Driven by aforementioned factors, the company released encouraging preliminary third-quarter results on Oct 22. Per the preliminary results, non-GAAP revenues are expected between $155 million and $157 million, compared with prior guided range of $72-$76 million.

MaxLinear has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter earnings has been revised upward by 121.4% to 31 cents per share over the past 30 days.

MACOM’s fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 performance is expected to have gained from strong backlog driven by momentum in across data center and telecom markets. Further, growing proliferation of cloud services has been benefiting both domestic and international deployment of the company’s solutions.

Also, high-performance analog components and drivers, which are required in 100G deployment, have been strengthening MACOM’s presence in the data center market.

Growing data center traffic amid strength across 5G network deployments, rising requirement for its RF (or radio frequency) and microwave products, and solid demand across defense end-market are likely to have contributed to the fiscal fourth-quarter top line.

MACOM has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at 38 cents per share, unchanged in the past 30 days.

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