Replies to post #127733 on Intel Corp (INTC)

[fastpathguru]

The facts are the facts. Intel has a huge pile of cash and can easily afford its R&D, CapEx, dividends and stock buy-backs. TSMC is struggling with all of these and once again (for 2013 based on Q4 numbers), their dividends exceeded their free cash flow.

What have we learned from you recently, walbert:

* TSMC's $8b of "cash" is worthless.

* Gross Margin is a totally valid metric for comparing totally different businesses, even though it leaves out the bulk of Intel's costs.

* Net Margin is, OTOH, a worthless metric that little companies use to feel better.

* Even though Intel is a hugely capital/fixed-cost intensive business, their huge revenues (which they only keep a tiny fraction of, even less than TSMC) ensure that their net profit levels are in no danger from relatively small changes in demand whatsoever.

* OTOH free cash flow (i.e. net cash flow after dividends, etc. I.e. REAL net cash flow) is totally important regardless of how much cash and equivalents you have in the bank, and for TSMC their trickle of negative free cash flow indicates they probably won't make it through 2014 even though they're sitting on $8b in "cash",

* Diapers with Intel-inside are the future,

* And ARM is totally dead now that Intel is really, REALLY trying this year.

Did I miss anything? I am a slow learner after all...

fpg