Microchip Technology Exceeds $1 Billion Annual Net Sales Run Rate Based on Its Revenue for the Third Fiscal Quarter 2010

    --  NET SALES OF $250.1 MILLION, UP 10.3% SEQUENTIALLY
    --  ON A GAAP BASIS:
        o GROSS MARGIN OF 58.4%; OPERATING PROFIT OF 29.0%; NET INCOME OF $69.4
          MILLION AND 27.8% OF NET SALES; EPS OF 37 CENTS PER DILUTED SHARE
        o GAAP NET INCOME INCLUDES AN $8.5 MILLION BENEFIT, OR 4.5 CENTS PER
          DILUTED SHARE, RELATED TO A TAX AUDIT SETTLEMENT
    --  ON A NON-GAAP BASIS:
        o GROSS MARGIN OF 59.0%; OPERATING PROFIT OF 32.8%; NET INCOME OF $70.1
          MILLION AND 28.0% OF NET SALES; EPS OF 38 CENTS PER DILUTED SHARE
    --  RECORD 16-BIT MICROCONTROLLER AND ANALOG REVENUE
    --  RECORD SHIPMENTS OF 41,492 DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
    --  INCREASED QUARTERLY DIVIDEND TO 34.1 CENTS PER SHARE

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today reported results for the three months ended December 31, 2009 as summarized in the following table:


                            GAAP            % of     Non-GAAP1       % of
                                            Revenue                  Revenue

Revenue                     $250.1 million           $250.1 million

Gross Margin                $146.0 million  58.4%    $147.6 million  59.0%

Operating Income            $72.6 million   29.0%    $82.0 million   32.8%

Other Income (Expense)      $(2.7) million           $(1.1) million

Income Tax Expense          $0.5 million             $10.8 million

Net Income                  $69.4 million   27.8%    $70.1 million   28.0%

Earnings per Diluted Share  37 cents                 38 cents

1 See the "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this release.



Net revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 was $250.1 million, up 10.3% sequentially from net revenue of $226.7 million in the immediately preceding quarter, and up approximately 30.1% from net revenue of $192.2 million in the prior year's third fiscal quarter. GAAP net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 was $69.4 million, or 37 cents per diluted share, up 56.0% from GAAP net income of $44.5 million, or 24 cents per diluted share, in the immediately preceding quarter, and down 4.1% from GAAP net income of $72.4 million, or 39 cents per diluted share, in the prior year's third fiscal quarter. The December 2009 quarter included an $8.5 million favorable income tax benefit associated with an IRS audit settlement while the December 2008 quarter included a $51.3 million favorable income tax benefit related to an IRS settlement, changes in tax regulations and the reinstatement of the R&D tax credit.

Non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 was $70.1 million, or 38 cents per diluted share, up 31.9% from non-GAAP net income of $53.2 million, or 29 cents per diluted share, in the immediately preceding quarter, and up 70.3% from non-GAAP net income of $41.2 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the prior year's third fiscal quarter. Our non-GAAP results exclude the effect of share-based compensation, any gain or loss on trading securities, the impact of our acquisition activities, non-recurring tax events and non-cash interest expense on our convertible debentures associated with the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options - Cash Conversion, which requires us to account separately for the liability and equity components of certain convertible debt instruments in a manner that reflects our nonconvertible debt (unsecured debt) borrowing rate when interest cost is recognized. A reconciliation of our non-GAAP and GAAP results is included in this press release.

Microchip also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 34.1 cents per share. The quarterly dividend is payable on March 4, 2010 to stockholders of record on February 18, 2010. Microchip initiated quarterly cash dividend payments in the third quarter of fiscal 2003.

Additionally, Microchip announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI) for $2.85 per share in cash. The acquisition has been approved by the Boards of Directors of each company and is expected to close in the second quarter of calendar 2010, subject to approval of SST's stockholders and other customary closing conditions.

"During the December quarter we experienced strong growth in all geographies and product lines, which resulted in us exceeding the revenue, gross margin, operating profit and earnings per share guidance that we revised positively in late November," said Steve Sanghi, Microchip's President and CEO.

"Non-GAAP gross margins were 59%, up 350 basis points from the September quarter, and we expect another 75 to 125 basis points of gross margin improvement in the March quarter as we continue to see the benefits from increased production levels in our factories in response to improving business conditions. We now believe that we are positioned to reach our previous record high non-GAAP gross margin of 61.6% by the end of fiscal year 2011," continued Mr. Sanghi.

"Our microcontroller business delivered excellent results; revenue was up 10.0% sequentially and we shipped a record 41,492 development tools. Our 16-bit microcontroller business achieved another record for quarterly revenue, with strong sequential growth of 10%, as well as 101.4% growth from the year-ago quarter," said Ganesh Moorthy, Chief Operating Officer. "Our analog business had another outstanding quarter with 14.1% sequential growth and exceeded an annual revenue run rate of $100 million for the first time in Microchip's history."

Eric Bjornholt, Microchip's Chief Financial Officer, said, "Due to the much stronger than expected growth in revenue and despite the significant ramp in manufacturing output, our inventory at 99 days remains well below our internal target of 115 days."

Mr. Bjornholt continued, "In the December quarter, our cash and investments position increased by $26.9 million after payment of our quarterly cash dividend of $62.5 million. We expect our cash generation to continue to be strong in the March quarter."

Mr. Sanghi concluded, "We are extremely pleased with the performance of our business in the December 2009 quarter. Our book-to-bill ratio for the December quarter was 1.12, providing us with excellent visibility. We started the March 2010 quarter with a record high opening backlog. On the other hand, the Lunar New Year holidays will have an adverse seasonal impact on our business in Asia. Taking all these factors into consideration we expect revenue to be up 3% to 7% sequentially."

Microchip's Recent Highlights:

    --  Microchip is rapidly growing its nanoWatt XLP eXtreme Low Power
        portfolio of 8- and 16-bit PIC(R) microcontrollers, which continues its
        leadership position as the world's most battery-friendly MCUs.
        Introduced this quarter were two new families of 16-bit PIC24F MCUs, as
        well as the new PIC16(L)F1826/7 general-purpose 8-bit XLP
        microcontrollers. PIC microcontrollers with nanoWatt XLP technology
        recently won three global honors, including Europe's Elektra Awards,
        America's Wireless Design & Development Technology Awards, and EDN
        China's Innovation Awards. These awards mirror the positive reception of
        XLP by Microchip's customers, who have been able to lower their power
        budgets substantially over competing MCUs.
    --  The PIC32 32-bit microcontroller portfolio underwent a major expansion
        this quarter, with the introduction of three new families. These three
        families were just named by EDN magazine to their 2009 "Hot 100" list of
        the most significant new electronic products, in the "Microcontrollers
        and Processors" category.
    --  Two other recent Microchip products joined the PIC32 on EDN's 2009 Hot
        100 list: the dsPIC33F "GS" series-based AC/DC reference design, which
        was named in the "Power" category, and the MCP651/2/5
        offset-voltage-corrected operational amplifiers, which were named in the
        "Analog ICs" category.
    --  Microchip acquired ZeroG Wireless, Inc, an innovator in low-power
        embedded Wi-Fi(R) solutions based in Sunnyvale, Calif., to further
        strengthen its wireless offerings by enabling embedded designers to
        easily connect to this ubiquitous networking protocol with any 8-, 16-
        or 32-bit PIC microcontroller.
    --  Also in the wireless arena, Microchip announced that it has achieved
        certification for its ZigBee(R) RF4CE Compliant Platform, which enables
        the next generation of RF remote controls and consumer electronics.
    --  Responding to the increasing market requirements for ICs specified for
        operation at temperatures greater than 125 C, Microchip introduced the
        largest and broadest portfolio of ICs for high-temperature
        applications--including 8- and 16-bit PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC(R)
        Digital Signal Controllers, serial EEPROM devices, and analog
        products--that are specified for operation up to 150 C ambient and
        qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 0 requirements.
    --  Microchip's broad, low-power Analog portfolio continued to grow at a
        steady pace, including new high-accuracy, low-power temperature sensors;
        a metering analog front end for highly accurate measurements; low
        dropout regulators with wide input and output voltage ranges; and
        synchronous Buck MOSFET drivers with maximum efficiency in small
        packages.
    --  During the quarter, Microchip shipped 41,492 development systems, a new
        record that demonstrates the continued strong interest in Microchip's
        products. The total cumulative number of development systems shipped now
        stands at 884,502.
    --  Microchip's mTouch Inductive Touch Sensing Technology was bestowed with
        the Best Touch Sensing Technology award by Electronic Engineering &
        Product World magazine in China, as part of their Embedded Systems
        Editor's Choice Awards 2009.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2010 Outlook:

The following statements are based on current expectations. These statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially.


                       GAAP              Non-GAAP Adjustments  Non-GAAP1

Revenue                $257.5 to $267.5                        $257.5 to $267.5
                       million                                 million

Gross Margin2,3        58.85% to 59.35%  $2.3 to $2.5 million  59.75% to 60.25%

Operating Expenses2,3  29%               $7.2 to $7.5 million  26.2%

Other Income           ($3.7) to ($4.1)  $1.6 million          ($2.1) to ($2.5)
(Expense)              million                                 million

Tax Rate               12% to 12.5%      $1.8 to $2.0 million  12.5% to 13%

Diluted Common Shares
Outstanding4           188.9 to 189.3    1.7 million shares    187.2 to 187.6
                       million                                 million

Earnings per Share     34 to 36 cents    5 to 6 cents          39 to 41 cents



    --  Inventory at March 31, 2010 is expected to be about flat in days from
        the December 31, 2009 levels, while remaining below our internal target
        of 115 days.
    --  Capital expenditures for the quarter ending March 31, 2010 are expected
        to be approximately $22 million. Capital expenditures for all of fiscal
        year 2010 are anticipated to be approximately $50 million. We are
        investing in equipment to support the expected revenue growth of our new
        products and technologies and are taking advantage of low-cost equipment
        opportunities in the marketplace.
    --  We expect net cash generation during the March quarter of approximately
        $75 to $85 million before the dividend payment of $62.9 million
        announced today. The amount of expected net cash generation is before
        the effect of any stock buy back activity.
    --  Microchip's Board of Directors authorized a stock buy back of up to 10.0
        million shares in December 2007. At December 31, 2009, approximately 2.5
        million shares remained available for purchase under this program.
        Future purchases will depend upon market conditions, interest rates and
        corporate considerations.

1 Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

Our Non-GAAP adjustments, where applicable, include the effect of share-based compensation, any gain or loss on trading securities, the impact of our acquisition activities, non-recurring tax events and non-cash interest expense on our convertible debentures and the related income tax implications of these items.

We are required to estimate the cost of certain forms of share-based compensation, including employee stock options, restricted stock units and our employee stock purchase plan, and to record a commensurate expense in our income statement. Share-based compensation expense is a non-cash expense that varies in amount from period to period and is affected by the price of our stock at the date of grant. The price of our stock is affected by market forces that are difficult to predict and are not within the control of management. The value of our trading securities varies in amount from period to period and is affected by fluctuations in the market prices of such securities that we cannot predict and are not within the control of management. The non-GAAP adjustments related to the impact of our acquisitions and a portion of our interest expense related to our convertible debentures are non-cash expenses related to such transactions. Our acquisitions of patent portfolio licenses and tax events related to IRS settlements, changes in tax regulations and the reinstatement of the R&D tax credit are non-recurring events in our business. Accordingly, management excludes all of these items from its internal operating forecasts and models.

We are using non-GAAP gross profit margin, non-GAAP gross profit percentage, non-GAAP operating expenses in dollars and as a percentage of sales including non-GAAP research and development expenses and non-GAAP selling, general and administration expenses, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP other income (expense), non-GAAP income tax/tax rate, non-GAAP net income, and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share which exclude the items noted in the immediately preceding paragraph, to permit additional analysis of our performance.

Management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors because they enhance the understanding of our historical financial performance and comparability between periods. Many of our investors have requested that we disclose this non-GAAP information because they believe it is useful in understanding our performance as it excludes non-cash and other charges that many investors feel may obscure our true operating costs. Management uses these non-GAAP measures to manage and assess the profitability of its business. Specifically, we do not consider such items when developing and monitoring our budgets and spending. As described above the economic substance behind our decision to exclude such items relates either to these charges being non-cash in nature or to the one-time nature of the events or, in the case of our trading securities, because such item is difficult to predict and not within the control of management. Our determination of the above non-GAAP measures might not be the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies, and it should not be construed as a substitute for amounts determined in accordance with GAAP. There are limitations associated with using non-GAAP measures, including that they exclude financial information that some may consider important in evaluating our performance. Management compensates for this by presenting information on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis for investors and providing reconciliations of the GAAP and non-GAAP results.

2 The GAAP outlook for gross margin and operating expenses do not consider any acquisition related costs or amortization of intangible assets associated with acquisitions that were not completed as of December 31, 2009.

3 Generally, gross margin fluctuates over time, driven primarily by the mix of microcontrollers, analog products and memory products sold; variances in manufacturing yields; fixed cost absorption; wafer fab loading levels; inventory reserves; pricing pressures in our non-proprietary product lines; and competitive and economic conditions. Operating expenses fluctuate over time, primarily due to revenue and profit levels.

4 Diluted Common Shares Outstanding can vary for, among other things, the trading price of our common stock, the actual exercise of options or vesting of restricted stock units, the potential for incremental dilutive shares from our convertible debentures, and the repurchase or the issuance of stock or the sale of treasury shares.


MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(in thousands except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

                                     Three Months Ended    Nine Months Ended

                                     December 31,          December 31,

                                     2009       2008 (1)   2009       2008 (1)

Net sales                            $ 250,099  $ 192,166  $ 669,709  $ 730,044

Cost of sales                        104,103    87,379     303,938    297,507

Gross profit                         145,996    104,787    365,771    432,537

Operating expenses:

Research and development             30,332     26,973     87,536     89,868

Selling, general and administrative  43,096     36,840     120,525    127,882

Special charge                       -          500        1,238      500

                                     73,428     64,313     209,299    218,250

Operating income                     72,568     40,474     156,472    214,287

Other expense, net                   (2,689)    (20,064)   (2,656)    (9,809)

Income before income taxes           69,879     20,410     153,816    204,478

Income tax provision (benefit)       476        (51,946)   12,560     (19,145)

Net income                           $ 69,403   $ 72,356   $ 141,256  $ 223,623

Basic net income per share           $ 0.38     $ 0.40     $ 0.77     $ 1.22

Diluted net income per share         $ 0.37     $ 0.39     $ 0.76     $ 1.19

Basic shares used in calculation     183,856    181,963    183,301    183,414

Diluted shares used in calculation   187,861    183,999    186,770    187,661

(1) As adjusted due to the adoption of ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with
Conversion and Other Options - Cash Conversion.




MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

ASSETS

                                                December 31,  March 31,

                                                2009          2009 (1)

                                                (Unaudited)

Cash and short-term investments                 $ 1,077,974   $ 1,389,945

Accounts receivable, net                          113,763       88,525

Inventories                                       112,784       131,510

Other current assets                              138,216       138,864

Total current assets                              1,442,737     1,748,844

Property, plant & equipment, net                  495,065       531,687

Long-term investments                             421,628       50,826

Other assets                                      84,177        80,409

Total assets                                    $ 2,443,607   $ 2,411,766

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities  $ 87,552      $ 71,714

Deferred income on shipments to distributors      97,583        83,931

Total current liabilities                         185,135       155,645

Convertible debentures                            339,000       334,184

Long-term income tax payable                      53,967        70,051

Deferred tax liability                            377,647       365,734

Other long-term liabilities                       3,983         3,834

Stockholders' equity                              1,483,875     1,482,318

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity      $ 2,443,607   $ 2,411,766

(1)As adjusted due to the adoption of ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with
Conversion and Other Options - Cash Conversion.




MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

(in thousands except per share amounts and percentages)

(Unaudited)

RECONCILIATION OF GROSS PROFIT TO NON-GAAP GROSS PROFIT

                                  Three Months Ended    Nine Months Ended

                                  December 31,          December 31,

                                  2009       2008       2009       2008

Gross profit, as reported         $ 145,996  $ 104,787  $ 365,771  $ 432,537

Share-based compensation expense  1,266      967        4,845      4,645

Acquisition-related acquired
inventory valuation costs and     321        308        1,868      308
intangible asset amortization

Non-GAAP gross profit             $ 147,583  $ 106,062  $ 372,484  $ 437,490

Non-GAAP gross profit percentage  59.0%      55.2%      55.6%      59.9%



RECONCILIATION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES TO NON-GAAP

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES


                                       Three Months Ended  Nine Months Ended

                                       December 31,        December 31,

                                       2009      2008      2009      2008

Research and development expenses, as  $ 30,332  $ 26,973  $ 87,536  $ 89,868
reported

Share-based compensation expense       (3,108)   (2,948)   (9,205)   (8,023)

Non-GAAP research and development      $ 27,224  $ 24,025  $ 78,331  $ 81,845
expenses

Non-GAAP research and development      10.9%     12.5%     11.7%     11.2%
expenses as a percentage of net sales



RECONCILIATION OF SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES TO

NON-GAAP SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES


                                      Three Months Ended  Nine Months Ended

                                      December 31,        December 31,

                                      2009      2008      2009       2008

Selling, general and administrative   $ 43,096  $ 36,840  $ 120,525  $ 127,882
expenses, as reported

Share-based compensation expense      (4,463)   (4,250)   (13,285)   (11,689)

Acquisition-related intangible asset  (297)     (128)     (860)      (128)
amortization and other costs

Non-GAAP selling, general and         $ 38,336  $ 32,462  $ 106,380  $ 116,065
administrative expenses

Non-GAAP selling, general and
administrative expenses as a          15.3%     16.9%     15.9%      15.9%
percentage of net sales



RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING INCOME TO NON-GAAP OPERATING INCOME


                                        Three Months Ended  Nine Months Ended

                                        December 31,        December 31,

                                        2009      2008      2009       2008

Operating income, as reported           $ 72,568  $ 40,474  $ 156,472  $ 214,287

Share-based compensation expense        8,837     8,165     27,335     24,357

Acquisition-related acquired inventory
valuation costs, intangible asset       618       436       2,728      436
amortization & other costs

Special charge - patent license         -         -         1,238      -

Special charge - Hampshire in-process   -         500       -          500
R&D

Non-GAAP operating income               $ 82,023  $ 49,575  $ 187,773  $ 239,580

Non-GAAP operating income as a          32.8%     25.8%     28.0%      32.8%
percentage of net sales



RECONCILIATION OF OTHER EXPENSE, NET TO NON-GAAP OTHER

(EXPENSE) INCOME, NET


                                    Three Months Ended     Nine Months Ended

                                    December 31,           December 31,

                                    2009       2008(1)     2009       2008(1)

Other expense, net, as reported     $ (2,689)  $ (20,064)  $ (2,656)  $ (9,809)

Convertible debt non-cash interest  1,595      1,321       4,662      3,850
expense

Loss (gain) on trading securities   -          19,272      (7,518)    19,272

Non-GAAP other (expense) income,    $ (1,094)  $ 529       $ (5,512)  $ 13,313
net

Non-GAAP other (expense) income,    -0.4%      0.3%        -0.8%      1.8%
net, as a percentage of net sales

(1)As adjusted due to the adoption of ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion
and Other Options - Cash Conversion.



RECONCILIATION OF INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)

TO NON-GAAP INCOME TAX PROVISION


                                     Three Months Ended    Nine Months Ended

                                     December 31,          December 31,

                                     2009      2008(1)     2009      2008(1)

Income tax provision (benefit), as   $ 476     $ (51,946)  $ 12,560  $ (19,145)
reported

Income tax rate, as reported         0.7%      -254.5%     8.2%      -9.4%

Share-based compensation expense     1,180     1,454       3,585     4,384

Acquisition-related acquired
inventory valuation costs,           83        78          357       78
intangible asset amortization and
other costs

Special charge - patent license      -         -           124       -

Special charge - Hampshire           -         89          -         89
in-process R&D

R&D tax credit reinstatement         -         1,470       -         1,470

Tax benefit related to IRS
settlement and clarification in tax  -         49,847      -         49,847
regulations

Tax benefit on IRS settlement        8,452     -           8,452     -

Convertible debt non-cash interest   614       508         1,795     1,482
expense

Loss (gain) on trading securities    -         7,420       (2,894)   7,420

Non-GAAP income tax provision        $ 10,805  $ 8,920     $ 23,979  $ 45,625

Non-GAAP income tax rate             13.4%     17.8%       13.2%     18.0%

(1)As adjusted due to the adoption of ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion
and Other Options - Cash Conversion.



RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND DILUTED NET INCOME PER SHARE TO

NON-GAAP NET INCOME AND NON-GAAP DILUTED NET INCOME PER SHARE


                                        Three Months Ended  Nine Months Ended

                                        December 31,        December 31,

                                        2009      2008(1)   2009       2008(1)

Net income, as reported                 $ 69,403  $ 72,356  $ 141,256  $ 223,623

Share-based compensation expense, net   7,657     6,711     23,750     19,973
of tax effect

Acquisition-related acquired inventory
valuation costs, intangible asset       535       358       2,371      358
amortization and other costs, net of
tax effect

Special charge - patent license, net    -         -         1,114      -
of tax effect

Special charge - Hampshire in-process   -         411       -          411
R&D, net of tax effect

R&D tax credit reinstatement            -         (1,470)   -          (1,470)

Tax benefit related to IRS settlement   -         (49,847)  -          (49,847)
and clarification in tax regulations

Tax benefit on IRS settlement           (8,452)   -         (8,452)    -

Convertible debt non-cash interest      981       813       2,867      2,368
expense, net of tax effect

Loss (gain) on trading securities, net  -         11,852    (4,624)    11,852
of tax effect

Non-GAAP net income                     $ 70,124  $ 41,184  $ 158,282  $ 207,268

Non-GAAP net income as a percentage of  28.0%     21.4%     23.6%      28.4%
net sales

Diluted net income per share, as        $ 0.37    $ 0.39    $ 0.76     $ 1.19
reported

Non-GAAP diluted net income per share   $ 0.38    $ 0.23    $ 0.85     $ 1.12

(1)As adjusted due to the adoption of ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion
and Other Options - Cash Conversion.



Microchip will host a conference call today, February 3, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss this release. This call will be simulcast over the Internet at www.microchip.com. The webcast will be available for replay until February 10, 2010.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available at approximately 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) February 3, 2010 and will remain available until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on February 10, 2010. Interested parties may listen to the replay by dialing 719-457-0820 and entering access code 2375453.

Cautionary Statement:

The statements in this release relating to our $1 billion run rate, completing the transaction with Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. in the second calendar quarter of 2010, expecting 75 to 125 basis points of gross margin improvement in the March quarter, improvements from increased production levels in our factories, being positioned to achieve our record high non-GAAP gross margin by the end of fiscal 2011, our analog revenue run rate, improving business conditions, continuing to focus on having the appropriate levels of inventory in place to support the needs of our customers, expecting our cash generation to continue to be strong for the March quarter, excellent visibility, the impact of the Lunar New Year holidays on our business in Asia, expecting revenue to be up 3% to 7% sequentially, rapidly growing our nanoWatt product portfolio, strengthening our wireless offerings, continued strong interest in our products, our fourth quarter fiscal 2010 outlook (GAAP and Non-GAAP as applicable) for revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income (expense), tax rate, diluted common shares outstanding, earnings per share, inventory, capital expenditures for the March quarter and for fiscal 2010 and net cash generation, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: the strength of the economic recovery or any unexpected fluctuations or weakness in the U.S. and global economies, changes in demand or market acceptance of our products and the products of our customers; the mix of inventory we hold and our ability to satisfy short-term orders from our inventory; changes in utilization of our manufacturing capacity and our ability to effectively ramp our production levels; competitive developments including pricing pressures; the level of orders that are received and can be shipped in a quarter; the level of sell-through of our products through distribution; changes or fluctuations in customer order patterns and seasonality; foreign currency effects on our business; the impact of any significant acquisitions that we make; costs and outcome of any current or future tax audit or any litigation involving intellectual property, customers or other issues; actual timing of the closing of the SST acquisition, the satisfaction of the conditions to closing in the SST acquisition agreement, any termination of the SST acquisition agreement, disruptions in our business or the businesses of our customers or suppliers due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict, war, worldwide oil prices and supply, public health concerns or disruptions in the transportation system; and general economic, industry or political conditions in the United States or internationally.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to Microchip's filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. You can obtain copies of Forms 10-K and 10-Q and other relevant documents for free at Microchip's Web site (www.microchip.com) or the SEC's Web site (www.sec.gov) or from commercial document retrieval services.

Stockholders of Microchip are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. Microchip does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after this February 3, 2010 press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

About Microchip:

Microchip Technology Incorporated is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site at www.microchip.com.

The Microchip name and logo, PIC, and dsPIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. mTouch, and PICDEM are trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.


    Source: Microchip Technology Incorporated