April Semiconductor Sales Increase Month on Month

by Semiconductor Industry Association

SAN JOSE, CA – June 1, 2009 – Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $15.6 billion in April, an increase of 6.4 percent from March when sales were $14.7 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. April sales were 25 percent lower than April 2008 when sales were $20.9 billion. All sales numbers represent a three-month moving average of global semiconductor sales.

“The better-than-expected 6.4 percent sequential increase in April sales was driven by moderate improvements in a number of end-demand drivers and inventory replenishment,” said SIA President George Scalise. “The PC market – a major consumer of semiconductors – has been stronger than predicted earlier in the year. Consensus forecasts currently project that PC unit sales in 2009 will decline by about 6 percent compared to earlier forecasts of a decline in the range of 12 percent. Analysts are also more optimistic about cell phone unit sales, which are now projected to decline by around 7 percent compared to earlier forecasts of 15 percent. PCs and cell phones account for nearly 60 percent of all semiconductor consumption,” Scalise stated.

SIA noted that the worldwide automotive market, which accounts for about 7 percent of total semiconductor sales, remains weak. Corporate information technology spending has also lagged normal patterns as companies have lengthened replacement cycles. The consumer electronics sector presents a mixed picture: analysts project increased unit sales of digital televisions and hand-held game players and lower unit sales of most other consumer electronics products.

“Visibility remains limited,” Scalise continued. “Two consecutive months of sequential sales growth may be an indication of a return to more normal seasonal sales patterns in some market sectors, albeit at lower sales levels than last year,” Scalise concluded.

About the SIA Global Sales Report

The SIA Global Sales Report (GSR) is a three-month moving average of sales activity. The GSR is tabulated by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization, an independent, non-profit organization established by the global semiconductor industry to compile industry statistics. The moving average is a mathematical smoothing technique that mitigates variations due to differences in companies’ financial calendars.

VIEW THE DATA TABLE AND GRAPH HERE.

About the SIA

The SIA is the leading voice for the semiconductor industry and has represented U.S. semiconductor companies since 1977. Collectively, the chip industry employs a domestic workforce of approximately 200,000 people. The semiconductor industry is America’s second-largest exporting industry. More information about the SIA can be found at www.sia-online.org.

For more information:
Semiconductor Industry Association
John Greenagel or Anne Craib
408-436-6600
mailbox@sia-online.org