IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today updated its financial guidance for the fourth quarter of 2010 at its 2010 Analyst Day.

The following estimates are based on the current business outlook:

• Net Revenue: Increased to the top end of the prior range to approximately $1.9 billion.
• Product Gross Margin* (GAAP): Down slightly sequentially due to warranty and excess & obsolete charges. This excludes the impact of GAAP valuation related charges (e.g. in inventory step up and amortization) related to Q4 acquisitions that are not available at this time.
• R&D Plus SG&A Expenses* (GAAP): Estimated to be up $20 million - $30 million sequentially. This excludes approximately $25 million of acquisition and employee stock plan charges.
• Ending Cash & Marketable Securities: Significant increase sequentially to approximately $4 billion on strong cash flow, debt offering, and options exercise proceeds.
• Share Count (GAAP Diluted): Estimated to be approximately 565 million shares, up approximately 20 million shares sequentially depending on stock price and option exercises.

* Guidance excludes the impact of purchase price allocation related charges pending availability of valuation reports for recently completed and announced Q4 acquisitions.

For further information regarding our updated guidance for the fourth quarter of 2010, see the "Updated Guidance for the Three Months Ending December 31, 2010" at the end of this release.

"Our increased revenue guidance reflects stronger than expected demand for products in our Mobile and Wireless markets versus our initial expectations entering the quarter," said Scott McGregor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom.

Broadcom's fourth quarter business outlook was originally published in the company's third quarter 2010 earnings release, with the exception of fourth quarter guidance on ending cash and marketable securities and share count (GAAP diluted), which was not provided previously. To access additional details of the updated financial outlook for the fourth quarter of 2010 and a replay of the 2010 Analyst Day including the associated slides, please go to the Investor Relations section of the Broadcom website at www.broadcom.com/investors

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2009 revenue of $4.49 billion, holds more than 4,300 U.S. and 1,800 foreign patents, and has more than 7,900 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, guidance provided on future revenue, gross product margin and operating expense targets for the fourth quarter of 2010.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Our operating results may be adversely impacted by worldwide economic uncertainties and specific conditions in the markets we address.
• Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly.
• Our stock price is highly volatile.
• We face intense competition.
• We depend on a few significant customers for a substantial portion of our revenue.
• We may fail to adjust our operations in response to changes in demand.
• We face risks associated with our acquisition strategy.
• We may be required to defend against alleged infringement of intellectual property rights.
• We may not be able to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights.
• Our business is subject to potential tax liabilities.
• We are involved in litigation.
• We manufacture and sell complex products and may be unable to successfully develop and introduce new products.
• We are subject to order and shipment uncertainties.
• We are increasingly exposed to risks associated with our international operations.
• We depend on third-party subcontractors to fabricate, assemble and test our products.
• Government regulation may adversely affect our business.
• We may be unable to attract, retain or motivate key personnel.
• Our co-founders and their affiliates may control the outcome of matters that require the approval of our shareholders.
• There can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends.
• Our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain anti-takeover provisions.

Broadcom's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release and the related webcast for analysts and investors speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything® and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Broadcom has based the preceding guidance for the three months ending December 31, 2010 on expectations, assumptions and estimates that we believe are reasonable given our assessment of historical trends and other information reasonably available as of December 14, 2010. Our guidance consists of predictions only, however, and is subject to a wide range of known and unknown business risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. The forecasts and projections contained in the table above should not be regarded as representations by Broadcom that the estimated results will be achieved. Projections and estimates are necessarily speculative in nature and actual results may vary materially from the guidance we provide today.

The guidance set forth in the above table should be read together with the information under the caption, "Cautions regarding Forward-Looking Statements" above, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including the guidance set forth herein, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Corporate