SAN FRANCISCO The three month-rolling
average of global chip salesimproved to $23.3 billion in March, up 1.5 percent
from Februarybut down 7.9 percent compared with March 2011, according to
theSemiconductor Industry Association (SIA) trade group. For the first quarter
of the year, chip sales totaled $69.9billion, down 7.9 percent compared to the
first quarter of lastyear, according to SIA, which bases its reports on data
gathered bythe World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization.
Firstquarter chip sales were down 2.2 percent compared with the fourthquarter
of 2011, SIA said. "We are encouraged to see that sequential growth
resumed across allregions, especially in Europe and Japan, in March," said
BrianToohey, SIA president, in a statement.
"We look for seasonalmoderate growth
to continue in the second quarter and buildmomentum as 2012 progresses.
However, while forecasts for globaleconomic growth are improving, macroeconomic
and geopoliticaluncertainties remain." Chip sales in Europe and Japan
improved sequentially by 3.8 percentand 1.2 percent, respectively, SIA said.
SIA cited improvingmacroeconomic conditions, increasing semiconductor content
across awide range of applications and supply chain recovery related to the2011
Thailand floods as drivers of an improved outlook for theindustry. According to
Christopher Danely, an analyst with JP Morgan, SIA'sMarch figures show the
single-month total of sales for March was$26.4 billion, up 20.1 percent from
February. The month-to-monthimprovement was below the seasonal average from
February to Marchof 24.1 percent due to below normal sales of analog and
flashmemory chips, Danely said.
Click here
to know more about
No comments:
Post a Comment