Chip equipment sales up 1st time in 19 months-SEMI
Thursday November 14, 3:02 am ET
TOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Global sales of chipmaking equipment rose in September from year-earlier levels for the first time in 19 months, climbing 19.8 percent to $2.34 billion, an industry group said on Thursday.
The figure was the highest monthly total since April 2001, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) said.
Sales of equipment to make and test microchips have recovered in recent months, reflecting a rebound early this year in the semiconductor market from last year's record slump.
More forward-looking data for equipment orders, however, has been pointing for several months to a renewed slump. Sales tend to lag orders by three to six months or more.
For the six months to September 30, the first half of Japan's business year, the SEMI figures showed an 18.3 percent decline worldwide in equipment sales from a year earlier to $10.37 billion.
The half-year data showed continued strong demand in Asia's emerging semiconductor centres, especially in Taiwan, which posted 30.0 percent growth to $2.17 billion, while South Korean sales rose 3.0 percent to $817.9 million.
Japan posted the biggest decline for April to September, falling 40.6 percent to $1.93 billion as that country's struggling chipmakers continued to rein in spending.
Sales in North America fell 26.0 percent to $2.82 billion, while Europe dropped 37.2 percent to $1.05 billion. |
