Freescale Gets Coming-Out Party Started

Freescale Semiconductor(FSL Quote) kicks off a yearlong global advertising campaign Thursday, the latest move in a string of announcements signaling that the world's ninth-largest chipmaker is emerging from the shadow of Motorola(MOT Quote).

"We decided that one year of being under the radar to get our operating performance and financial performance clicking is sufficient," said spokesman Tim Doke.

Freescale was spun off from Motorola last year and its stock has quickly and quietly outpaced its peers and the market. Shares have drifted lately, but are still up almost 80% since the IPO. They closed Wednesday at $23.23, up 11 cents. ...