Needham analyst Rajvindra Gill lowered his price target on Microchip (MCHP) to $100 to reflect the "broad-based weakness" in the semiconductor sector, particularly in China. The analyst also keeps his Strong Buy rating on the shares, stating that the stock has likely discounted the macro weakness as its valuation has contracted to less than 10-times his forward earnings estimate. Gill maintains that Microchip's Microsemi (MSCC) acquisition is highly accretive, offering a compelling earnings opportunity in FY20 after undergoing a de-leveraging campaign.

BofA raised the firm's price target on Texas Instruments (TXN) to $190 from $175 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. TI's small Q1 beat and inline but sequentially rising Q2 sales guidance, "while modest, potentially marks a recovery inflection in industrial chip demand," with positive read-across for U.S. peers such as Analog Devices (ADI), Microchip (MCHP), NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) and On Semiconductor (ON), the analyst tells investors. However, despite an expected recovery, TI's sustained high capex intensity could keep reported calendar year 2024-26 pro-forma EPS below $6 per share, the analyst added.

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