Advanced Micro Devices is spinning off its flash unit, but the company"s timing could have been better, analysts said.
Spansion, a flash memory joint venture between AMD and Fujitsu that is primarily controlled by the chipmaker, aims to raise $600 million in a public offering, according to papers filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The most recent quarters, however, have been tough times. Spansion has reported two consecutive quarterly operating losses, has seen its market share drop significantly and is starting to experience pressure from Samsung and other companies as the different wings of the flash market--NAND and NOR--blur.