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UEI – This May be the Canary in the Coal Mine We Need to Pay Attention To

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A slide from a UEI investor presentation

Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI), (NASDAQ: UEIC) released the results of their fiscal 2022 fourth quarter (Q4) and full year (FY) at the end of last week and their mixed performance was not well received by investors skittish over the economic outlook for 2023. Although gross margins improved slightly for the fourth quarter, for the full year gross margins declined, revenues were down, operating income declined, and the company saw its net income dramatically lowered.

UEI is one of the companies I watch as it can give a sense of the changing economic outlook for the overall consumer electronics market. And that fact makes this latest report a little troubling.

Learn more about UEI’s results for fiscal 2022…

[Read more…] about UEI – This May be the Canary in the Coal Mine We Need to Pay Attention To

UEI Earns Wide National News Coverage for All the Wrong Reasons

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UEI screenshot with logo

Allegations of Conspiring With China’s Gov’t to Use Uyghurs in a Forced Labor Arrangement

In a rare show of bipartisanship, a group of U.S. Senators has sent a strongly worded letter to a leading consumer electronics industry remote control maker Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI) launching a probe into the company’s hiring practices in China. Unique to UEI is that they own their own factories in China (most contract with existing China OEM factories) and a recent damning investigation by Reuters alleges the company is working with the Chinese government to utilize a widely persecuted Uyghur minority in a forced labor arrangement, a human rights violation. UEI has denied the accusation but so far has not provided data to back up their denial.

See more on the UEI labor situation in China

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U.S. ITC Launches Massive Investigation of Certain TVs, Remotes & Components

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Roku homepage

Broad Implications of Roku, Inc. v. Universal Electronics, Inc.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched a massive investigation into a wide range of televisions, remote controls, and other components that is sure to rattle a few cages around the industry. The investigation is the result of a patent infringement action taken by Roku, Inc. (Roku) against Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI) and a long list of UEI customers and associates back in April. At the same time that Roku filed their lawsuit in a California District Court, they also filed a complaint with the ITC alleging Section 337 violations (“unfair imports”) by the same long list of prominent players in electronics.

See more on the Roku / ITC investigation

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Hands-On Battle in Clash of Remote Control Titans; URC Claims Victory

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But UEI Says ‘It is Not Over’

URClogoFor the last couple of years, there has been a running court battle between two of the titans of the remote control category: Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI) and Universal Remote Control, Inc. (URC). Today, one of them, URC, announced victory in the first of two pending patent infringement lawsuits that was originally filed in 2012.

URC claimed a complete victory – but Strata-gee.com has received a statement from UEI who says, in effect, not so fast – this dispute is far from over.

See what URC claims the court said…and why UEI cautions not to jump to conclusions… [Read more…] about Hands-On Battle in Clash of Remote Control Titans; URC Claims Victory