Global semiconductor market boosted by PC sales
Published: 03 Jun 2008 08:39 BST
Semiconductor sales grew 5.9 percent worldwide in April, a healthy rate given the current sluggish economy, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported on Monday.
Chip sales rose to $21.2bn (£10.8bn) in April, up from $20.1bn a year ago and flat with the previous month. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) noted that April sales were essentially in line with historical industry patterns.
"Despite steep increases in energy costs that have diminished the disposable income of consumers, worldwide sales of semiconductors grew by a healthy 5.9 percent compared to April 2007," SIA president George Scalise said in a statement.
Weakness in memory prices weighed on the industry, which would otherwise have posted year-over-year growth of approximately 12 percent, according to the SIA.
"Unit sales of both DRAM and NAND flash products were up significantly year on year, but price attrition resulted in a 14 percent decline in total sales of memory products," Scalise stated.
Chip sales for PCs and handsets, however, appear to be on track. PC and handset unit sales have kept pace with forecasts, with PC sales expected to grow 10 percent this year and handset sales 12 percent.
Much of that growth in PC and handset sales, which are two of the largest drivers of semiconductor sales, is being fuelled by overseas sales, according to the SIA.
Credit: Semiconductor sales up 5.9 percent in April from CNET News.com
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