Benchmark Reiterates Buy on EZchip Semiconductor Following nPower X1 NPU Announcement

In a report published Thursday, Benchmark Company analyst Gary Mobley reiterated a Buy rating and $40.00 price target on EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. EZCH. In the report, Benchmark Company noted, “Before the market open on Thursday, Cisco announced its first generation nPower network processor (a.k.a. NPU). Cisco has always had an internal ASIC development team and has for years been using its own Quantumflow network processor. Despite Cisco's ASIC development efforts, EZCH chip has thrived during the past few years as several of Cisco's edge routers (e.g. ASR9000) have utilized EZCH's NP-3 and NP-4 NPUs. Cisco should represent 40% of EZCH's FY13 revenue. The nPower X1 NPU Cisco announced appears to be the first generation of the nPower product family; however, it is unknown in which product Cisco intends to use the new ASIC. It is also unclear whether this nPower X1 ASIC is a replacement for Cisco's own Quantumflow.” EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. closed on Wednesday at $27.82.