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GlobalFoundries Projects Weak First Quarter Amid Tariff Concerns and Smartphone Market Weakness

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GlobalFoundries, the contract chipmaker based in Malta, New York, issued a bleak forecast for its first-quarter revenue and profit, citing the potential impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on automakers and a struggling smartphone market in 2025. Despite the outlook, the company’s shares reversed earlier losses, rising nearly 4% in morning trading.

For the first quarter, GlobalFoundries expects revenue to range between $1.55 billion and $1.60 billion, below the Wall Street estimate of $1.66 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. The company also projects adjusted earnings per share to fall between 24 cents and 34 cents, with the midpoint of this range under analysts’ expectations of 32 cents per share.

The automotive sector, which is GlobalFoundries’ third-largest revenue contributor, is especially vulnerable to the effects of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in the United States. In 2023, the company signed a long-term agreement with General Motors to produce chips exclusively for the carmaker at its Malta facility.

Additionally, GlobalFoundries is facing challenges in its largest segment, smartphones. The global smartphone market is expected to face a turbulent 2025, according to research firm Canalys, further adding pressure on the company’s performance.

For the fourth quarter, GlobalFoundries posted revenue of $1.83 billion, meeting analysts’ estimates. The company also reported a profit of 46 cents per share, excluding items, which was slightly above the expected 44 cents.

Earlier this month, the company announced the appointment of Tim Breen as its new CEO, succeeding Thomas Caulfield.

GlobalFoundries Appoints Tim Breen as New CEO

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GlobalFoundries, the world’s third-largest contract chipmaker, announced on Wednesday that Tim Breen will be its new CEO. Breen, who joined the company in 2018 and has served as its Chief Operating Officer since 2023, succeeds Thomas Caulfield, who will transition to the role of executive chairman.

Shares of GlobalFoundries remained mostly unchanged following the announcement. Before his tenure at GlobalFoundries, Breen held a senior executive position at Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund and GlobalFoundries’ largest stakeholder.

In addition to Breen’s appointment, GlobalFoundries also announced that Niels Anderskouv, a former executive at Texas Instruments, will be the company’s new president. Anderskouv will replace Breen as Chief Operating Officer and will oversee manufacturing and product strategy.

Caulfield, who led the company through its 2021 IPO and had been CEO since 2018, praised Breen and Anderskouv for their leadership and vision, stating that together they are well-positioned to drive GlobalFoundries forward.

The company, which stepped back from the high-cost race to produce the most advanced chips—opting instead to focus on specialized markets such as radio-frequency chips and automotive semiconductors—has seen increased demand for its products, especially due to a recovery in the smartphone market. Despite this growth, GlobalFoundries continues to face challenges in the industrial and automotive sectors.

In 2024, GlobalFoundries also benefited from government support, receiving approximately $1.5 billion in subsidies aimed at boosting U.S. chip manufacturing.

 

Intel’s Quarterly Revenue Tops Expectations, Investors Await New CEO

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Intel (INTC.O) reported better-than-expected results for its December quarter on Thursday, surpassing analysts’ low estimates. However, the chipmaker’s forecast for the upcoming quarter fell short, as it faces weak demand for its data center chips. Investors are also awaiting clarity on Intel’s leadership following the ousting of former CEO Pat Gelsinger last month. Currently, two interim co-CEOs are at the helm of the company, which has struggled to compete with rivals like Nvidia (NVDA.O), particularly in the AI chip market.

The quarterly results were overshadowed by concerns about Intel’s long-term strategy and leadership transition. Despite this, the company’s shares rose by 3.8% in after-hours trading, a relief after a challenging year where Intel’s stock lost around 60% of its value.

Intel’s struggle to capitalize on the booming AI market was evident when Co-interim CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus announced that the company would shelve its upcoming graphics processing unit (GPU) design, Falcon Shores. Instead, Intel plans to use the chip internally as a test product, with a focus on future data center AI chips.

For the first quarter, Intel projected revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, below analysts’ average estimate of $12.87 billion. The company cited “normal seasonality” and potential tariffs under the Biden administration as factors contributing to its cautious outlook. According to CFO David Zinsner, the possibility of tariffs may have prompted some customers to buy Intel’s chips ahead of potential price increases.

Intel’s ongoing transition includes a focus on becoming a contract chip manufacturer for other companies, but this shift has raised concerns among investors about its cash flow. Last year, Intel abandoned its forecast of selling over $500 million worth of its new AI chips, Gaudi, which struggled to compete with Nvidia’s products.

For the upcoming quarter, Intel forecasted break-even adjusted per-share earnings, while analysts expected adjusted profits of 9 cents per share. The company has received federal grants under the CHIPS Act, which helped boost its revenue and profit margins for the fourth quarter.

In the personal computer market, which remains Intel’s largest revenue segment, global shipments grew only modestly last year, missing analysts’ expectations for a stronger rebound. Intel has also been losing market share in both the PC and server CPU sectors to competitor AMD (AMD.O), a trend expected to continue into 2025.