All eyes turn to AMD's fourth quarter results

Advanced Micro Devices will release its fourth quarter earnings today after the stock market closes. Given that we already know about its PC processor picture—that shipments were up strongly, but competitive pricing held respective revenue and profit increases down—the more noteworthy items will likely relate to the chipmaker’s October acquisition of ATI Technologies. I think most AMD observers will be looking for more information on ATI’s contribution to AMD’s fourth quarter earnings and its potential value to the company during 2007.

Given that AMD has outlined its long-term vision for ATI, which ultimately includes a new line of Fusion chips that combine AMD x86 processor cores and ATI graphics, I think observers will begin digging into the nuts and bolts of the acquisition. I think that how well ATI’s sales held up in the initial months following its acquisition will be scrutinized. Of course AMD’s outlook for the first quarter and any insight on its expectations for 2007 will be watched closely as well.

In other news, Dan Nystedt, of the IDG News Service Taipei Bureau wrote in a blog posting yesterday that AMD has signed a deal to supply Hedy Holdings, one of the top five PC manufacturers in China, with processors. AMD, however, has been mum on this deal thus far.