Chipmaker has long-term appeal

Article Excerpt

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. $180 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol TXN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 913.0 million; Market cap: $164.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 10.6; Dividend yield: 3.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ti.com) is a leading maker of analog chips, which convert inputs like touch and sound into electronic signals that computers can understand. In the quarter ended December 31, 2024, revenue fell 1.7%, to $4.01 billion from $4.08 billion a year earlier. That’s mainly because of weaker demand for consumer electronic devices, new cars and industrial equipment. Earnings fell 12.8%, to $1.30 a share (or a total of $1.21 billion) from $1.49 a share (or $1.37 billion). The drop is partly due to higher spending on new chip plants and interest payments. The company’s new plants will cut its long-term production costs. For 2025, it will probably earn $5.37 a share in 2025, and the stock trades at 33.5 times the estimate. That’s a reasonable multiple in light of Texas Instruments’ high…