Via's sales sprout in March
By Bloomberg News
April 3, 2001, 12:10 p.m. PT
TAIPEI, Taiwan--Via Technologies, Taiwan's biggest chip designer, said sales in March rose 24 percent from February because of rising demand for chipsets.
The company's March sales were $122 million--57 percent higher than during the same month last year.
Via said stronger-than-expected demand for processors made by Advanced Micro Devices boosted sales of Via's chipsets, which connect all the components on a computer's motherboard. Demand also rose for chipsets supporting faster memory chips.
The record sales are potentially a sign of a rebound in the PC industry. Seven months ago, computer markers cut orders to chip companies as they tried to sell unwanted inventory.
Via said sales in its first quarter rose more than 84 percent from a year ago to $317 million.
"They're good figures and show that the situation in the first quarter hasn't deteriorated," said Gary Lee, an analyst at International Securities in Taiwan.
Lee warned, however, that the U.S. economic slowdown could kill the rebound in chip sales. "If the U.S. market doesn't recover, that will affect a sustained recovery," he said.
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