sia

Chip sales hit record $298 billion in 2010

In 2010, semiconductors brought in record revenue of $298.3 billion worldwide, a jump of 31.8 percent compared with the previous year, according to data out yesterday from the Semiconductor Industry Association.

In addition, chip sales in December hit $25.2 billion, a gain of 12.2 percent compared with 2009's final month. Fourth-quarter revenue grew the same percentage from the year-ago quarter to reach $75.5 billion.

"Semiconductor sales are a bright spot in our current economic picture, delivering a record high in the billions," SIA President Brian Toohey said in a statement. "The … Read more

Applied Materials warns of loss

Applied Materials warned Monday of a first-quarter loss. One of the biggest charges cited was doubtful accounts, as customers failed to pay up.

The largest maker of chip production equipment said that it expects a net loss in the range of 9 cents to 11 cents per share for its first fiscal quarter, which ended January 25. It pointed to a restructuring charge of approximately $133 million (or 6 cents per share) associated with a cost reduction program announced on November 12, 2008, as the largest charge. At that time, Applied said it would cut 1,800 jobs, or about … Read more

Chip sales slump in November

Global sales of chips sank 9.8 percent in November, underscoring the impact the worldwide economic crisis is having on chipmakers, the Semiconductor Industry Association said Friday.

The San Jose, Calif.-based trade group said worldwide sales of semiconductors fell in November to $20.8 billion, a decline of 9.8 percent from November 2007 when sales were $23.1 billion.

Sales were down 7.2 percent from the $22.4 billion in October, according to the SIA.

Memory chips are putting the biggest damper on growth. Excluding memory, there was a slower year-on-year decline of 4.8 percent to $… Read more

Chip sales dip in October, flash sales dive

The Semiconductor Industry Association said Monday that global sales of semiconductors declined by 2.4 percent in October as memory products saw the steepest declines.

This follows an SIA report last month that said chip sales in the fourth quarter, historically a strong time period for the microelectronics industry, are expected to decline by 5.9 percent from the previous quarter.

Monday's report said that global sales of semiconductors declined by 2.4 percent in October to $22.5 billion against sales of $23.0 billion in October 2007. October sales were off by 2.1 percent compared to … Read more

Chip group sees first sales decline since 2001

Correction, 10:46 a.m. PST: This story misstated the day the SIA made its announcement. It is Wednesday.

The Semiconductor Industry Association said Wednesday it is projecting the first decline in global chip sales since 2001.

SIA projects that 2009 sales will decline by 5.6 percent to $246.7 billion before resuming growth in 2010.

The forecast projects sales this year of $261.2 billion, a 2.2 percent increase from sales of $255.6 billion last year. But sales in the fourth quarter, historically a strong time period for the microelectronics industry, are expected to decline by … Read more

Free MP3s: Indie To Go Vol. 12

We're only a few weeks into 2008 and you can tell that it's going to be a great year for music. New releases by British Sea Power, Sia (we have her full album stream!) and The Oaks are worthy of the Best of 2008 (let's just hope we remember them at the end of the year). But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves -- we're still enjoying the Best of 2007. Indie To Go is an iPod-friendly sampler that features topnotch indie newcomers and chart-toppers. Stream the playlist below (while you work), then visit the … Read more