IC sales recover in December, says analyst

According to Bruce Diesen, analyst at Carnegie Group, the three-month average of global chip sales for December that is going to be reported by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization is about $24.1 billion. This is below the three-month average of $25.13 billion MoM, but the dip will be less than the typical seasonal norm and offers the prospect of a market turn to coincide with the end of the year, added Diesen.

Actual December sales will be down 5.5 percent YoY at about $25.1 billion, stated the analyst. Diesen figures take global chip sales last year to about $300 billion, flat with 2010 global chip sales. He sees light at the end of last year with a rebound in Chinese personal and tablet computer production and technology production rebounding in Thailand as flood-affected plants resume operations.

China exported 83 million mobile phones in November last year, up 20 percent YoY and the country produced a record number of PCs in December, jumping after four months of flat production, Diesen reckoned. Meanwhile automotive electronics continues to motor along, being better than expected for the fifth straight month in December, he added.

Nonetheless, Diesen stuck with an earlier prediction of unchanged semiconductor sales in U.S. dollar terms last year, followed by a two percent rise this year. This is somewhat bearish but in-line with the recent forecast given by Morris Chang, chair and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (TSMC).

- Peter Clarke
??EE Times