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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mephisto who wrote (35057)	5/4/2000 2:42:00 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Applied Materials Sees More Singapore, Malaysia Sales (Update1) 5/4/00 12:58:00 AM Source: Bloomberg News Singapore, May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Applied Materials Inc., the world's biggest chip-equipment maker, said sales in Singapore and Malaysia may more than double to as much as $800 million in the next year as foundries boost output to meet demand for chips for phones, cars and electronic games. Sales in the two Southeast Asian countries in the next 12 months will total between $600 million and $800 million, up from about $300 million last year, said Jim Morgan, chairman and chief executive of Applied, at a news conference. ''The expansion of the Internet is creating huge demand for all kinds of semiconductor chips,'' Morgan said. ''It's not only PCs anymore.'' Demand for computer chips is booming as consumers worldwide buy more computers and mobile phones to access the Internet. Analysts estimate that the semiconductor industry will expand by 20 percent to 25 percent this year. Singapore exports of computer chips rose 78.2 percent to S$1.7 billion ($990 million) in March. One of Applied's largest customers in the region, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., the world's No. 3 chip foundry, is building a sixth plant in Singapore to keep up with demand. Applied Materials shares will begin trading on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong at the end of May, together with Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Computer Corp., Amgen Inc. and Starbucks Corp. ''We have many investors in the region, mostly institutional investors that understand the industry,'' Morgan said. ''This will open up the stock to ordinary people.'' Nasdaq, the world's second-largest stock market by value, and the Hong Kong market agreed in December 1998 to make it easier for companies to list their shares in the U.S. and Hong Kong. The listings will allow Hong Kong investors to trade the shares during their regular market hours in the local currency. Applied shares fell 1 5/8, or 1.7 percent, yesterday to 94 1/2. The shares have risen 49 percent so far this year.