Global semicon sales at US$24.4b in July, down 1.9% on-year

KUALA LUMPUR: The US-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)
reported global semiconductor sales reached US$24.40bil in July, an
improvement on-month but a decline from a year ago as the sector faces
macroeconomic challenges.
It said on Wednesday July global sales
were slightly higher by 0.2% to RM24.34bil in June. However, the July
sales were 1.9% lower from the US$24.86bil a year ago.
The SIA
said the year-over-year decrease was smaller than it has been since
October 2011. All monthly sales numbers represented a three-month
moving average.
"July's sales figures offer some encouraging
signs for the global semiconductor industry, but it's clear that
macroeconomic challenges are restricting stronger growth," said SIA
president and CEO Brian Toohey.
He
said the regional outlook remained uneven. While Japan rebounded
strongly from last year's natural disaster and Asia Pacific has held
steady, but Europe and the Americas have lagged, he said.
July
Semiconductor sales increased on-year in Japan (4.2%) and Asia Pacific
(1.4%), but fell in Europe (-10.0%) and the Americas (-10.4%).
On
a sequential monthly basis, sales increased in Japan (5.4%) and Asia
Pacific (0.3%), remained flat in Europe, and declined in the Americas
(-3.9%).
Japan had its strongest month-over-month growth since September 2009 and largest year-over-year increase since January 2011.