ZRAN: Are you referring to the WSJ article from 7/8, where Ross rates ZRAN a strong buy? Here's the snippet on ZRAN: The areas that have done relatively well over the last year are consumer electronics, like DVD players, large TVs, MP3 players and digital cameras," said InStat's Cullen. " A lot of that is because consumer confidence stayed up," he said.
But with consumer confidence ebbing, will DVD chip makers like ESS Technology Inc. (ESST) and Zoran Corp. (ZRAN) continue to enjoy robust growth?
Investec's Ross thinks so. "Consumer electronics will be the biggest driver of semiconductors for the next five years," said the analyst, who rates ESS and Zoran strong buys. He estimates that chip revenue from DVD players will grow from $4.9 million in 2002 to $8.4 million in 2006.
