Texas Instruments Keeps 36¢ of Every Dollar It Earns; Rival STMicroelectronics Keeps Just 6¢

Texas Instruments made $1.98 billion profit on $5.46 billion in sales last quarter — keeping 36¢ per dollar. STMicroelectronics, reporting a day later, kept just 6¢: $222 million on $3.49 billion. TI's large factories make chips more cheaply, explaining the gap. ST's sales grew 26% from a year ago; whether that turns into profit remains unclear.