“Solar and LED equipment maker GT Advanced Technologies Inc raised the lower end of its full-year 2014 adjusted profit forecast, citing higher gross margins for the second half of the year,” Lehar Maan reports for Reuters. “Shares of the company, which reported second-quarter results below analysts’ estimates, were up 12 percent in extended trading at $15.84.”
“‘They made a deal with Apple in December and there was speculation that the deliveries might be significantly delayed,’ Gilford Securities analyst Nimal Vallipuram said. ‘It looks like there is no significant change in their relationship with Apple,'” Maan reports. “Apple said in November last year that it will open a manufacturing facility in Arizona in partnership with GT Advanced to make sapphire materials for its popular electronics devices.”
“Sapphire glass, which is slightly less hard to diamond, could make Apple’s products scratch resistant and nearly unbreakable making it ideal for smartphone displays. ‘We have continued to see strong interest in our suite of sapphire production tools,’ Tom Gutierrez Chief Executive of GT Advanced said in a statement,” Maan reports. “‘Sapphire material sales to Apple have low gross margins so if you reduce that then equipment sales has higher gross margin, and they (GT Advanced) are seeing pretty high demand for sapphire equipment,’ Pacific Crest Securities analyst Weston Twigg said.”
Full article here.
“Sapphire glass, which is slightly less hard to diamond…”
Lehar Maan seems to be a typical Reuters reporter – can’t even write.
Not to mention that he doesn’t know that sapphire crystal isn’t a glass.
-jcr
Are Sapphire’s a girls best friend?
We could see a trend develop with Sapphire products with girls or women taking to them like a duck to water!!! 🙂
Lads,… better get ready to open your wallets whilst readying those handkerchiefs! Some Mac products cost more than a diamond ring i’ll have you know!
With this iPhone, I thee wed!!!!! 🙂
Does that mean every 2 years you have to get a new ring?
Rather sapphire than diamonds. Diamonds are a controlled market and worthless.
Yep! Hence the kerchiefs,
It will be referred to as the great weepin ‘n’ a wailingathon. As men travel to Apple stores to replace their spouses symbol of marriage with the latest one.
Heaven help the bloke who digs his heels in and doesn’t, it will embarrass his wife no end to pull out her 2 year plus iPhone model in public or amongst her girlfriends!
“[T]hey (GT Advanced) are seeing pretty high demand for sapphire equipment”… mostly from Samsung?