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To: im a survivor who wrote (13333)	3/8/2004 5:25:28 PM
From: tech101	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13565

iSuppli Raises Cell Phone Forecast, Warns of IC Shortages By Mark LaPedus Silicon Strategies 03/08/2004, 4:37 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--Market research house iSuppli Corp. has raised its forecast for cellular phone shipments in 2004, but it also warns of ongoing component shortages in the arena. At the same time, the cellular phone chip market is expected to reach $20.2 billion in 2004, up 13.3 percent in 2003, according to iSuppli. Citing growth for camera phones and feature-rich devices, the market research firm projects that cell phone shipments will hit 570 units in 2004, up 3.6 percent from its original forecast. This also represents a 9.4 percent jump over 2003, according to iSuppli of El Segundo. Originally, the firm projected 6 percent growth in 2004 over 2003. The new forecast reflects stronger-than-expected growth in Q1. The cell phone market is supposed to be weak in Q1, but the business is shaping up to be one of the stronger periods. Unit shipments are expected to reach 135 million units, up from 125 million in iSuppli's original forecast. On the other hand, OEMs are unable to ship as many phones as they would like due to ongoing component shortages. Parts in short supply are color displays, modules, sensors and others, according to iSuppli.

To: im a survivor who wrote (13333)	3/26/2004 12:23:12 AM
From: tech101	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13565

OEM Buyers Face Supply Tightness By Nam Hyung Kim Silicon Strategies 03/25/2004, 9:45 PM ET The following column was provided by Nam Hyung Kim, a principal analyst with iSuppli Corp., an El Segundo, California-based market research firm. Asian spot market pricing for 256Mbit Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM surged by nearly 11 percent on Monday, as speculators reacted to news of political instability in Asia and production delays at a major supplier. The price increase represented the largest one-day rise this year. The surge was echoed on the U.S. spot market, where prices for 256Mbit DDR266, 333 and 400 increased by more than 10 percent this week. The table presents DRAM pricing trends on the U.S. spot memory market. The dramatic rise shocked traders and buyers, given that March historically has represented one of the slowest months of the year for the DRAM market. Market participants attributed the price increase to growing political uncertainty in Taiwan as well as Infineon Technologies AG's official announcement Monday of a delay in its migration to the 0.11-micron process. Moreover, DRAM demand is picking up, with some major module manufacturers commencing aggressive purchasing programs. This has further constrained supply on the Asian spot market, helping to send prices higher. Perhaps more importantly, there are signs that PC OEMs' demand for DRAM is accelerating. Sources have told iSuppli that DRAM sales in the United States have been dramatically increasing since the beginning of March, indicating that the corporate replacement cycle is continuing to progress. With prices undoubtedly on the upswing in March, the question on everyone's mind now is how DRAM pricing trends will shape up in April, which historically is the very slowest month of the year. DRAM megabit sales typically fall by 10 percent in April, while Average Selling Prices (ASPs) decline by 1 percent. However, this pattern is unlikely to recur this year, iSuppli believes. The main reason why this is unlikely to happen is that ASPs have been exceptionally strong so far in 2004. Furthermore, demand is robust, with tier-one DRAM suppliers reporting they are barely able to meet booked orders from PC OEMs. With supplies tightening, suppliers say they are unable to support any upside orders from OEMs. The DRAM business has decisively shifted from a buyers' market to a sellers' market. OEMs now are paying high prices for DRAM due to technology-migration challenges and product-mix issues at suppliers, which are spurring DRAM supply constraints. For example, Micron Technology Inc. in a conference call this week confirmed it would shift more of its DRAM production capacity to non-DRAM products this year. iSuppli recommends that buyers develop risk-management plans to prepare for a possible DRAM shortage this year. OEM contract prices remain lower than spot-market prices. Therefore, OEM prices are expected to increase again in April. As for the spot market, iSuppli is making a cautious prediction that prices may be adjusted downward in the second quarter. High spot-market DRAM prices may compel some traders to liquidate their inventories at that time. However, the near-term outlook for pricing remains positive, with tight supplies further limiting spot-market availability during the coming weeks. iSuppli will be watching the spot market closely to see how high prices will go. When OEM prices begin to exceed spot prices, it could signal a shift in market conditions. While today's sellers' market could evaporate in the second quarter, iSuppli is maintaining a "Positive" rating of conditions for the DRAM industry. Nam Hyung Kim can be reached at the following address: nkim@isuppli.com siliconstrategies.com

To: im a survivor who wrote (13333)	4/2/2004 1:36:09 PM
From: tech101	Respond to of 13565

Europe's Chip Market to Grow Above 20% by: pworks1 04/02/04 12:50 pm Msg: 190775 of 190780 Yahoo! Message Boards: ATML Add to My Yahoo finance.messages.yahoo.com Europe's Chip Market to Grow 'Well Above 20%' By David Manners -- Electronics Weekly, 4/2/2004 We are seeing the start of ?a boom year? for the European chip industry, according to the EECA-ESIA (European Electronic Components Association ? European Semiconductor Industry Association) market report for February. Advertisement ?There is no question about the expected overall growth rate well above 20 percent discussed in January,? says the EECA-ESIA report, instancing, ?the market has improved further in February. On a month-to-month base America showed highest growth followed by Europe.? PC related products are leading the growth surge followed by wireless applications like mobile phones, Bluetooth and wireless LAN. The report quotes the latest Semiconductor Industry Capacity Statistics (SICAS) figures which show utilization rates "well above" 90 percent with foundry capacity nearer to 99 percent. European Semiconductor sales in February 2004 amounted to $ 2.96 billion according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), up 0.7 percent on January and up 20.8 per cent on the same month last year. On a year-to-date basis semiconductor sales increased by 22.9 percent compared to January/February 2003. On a worldwide basis, semiconductor sales in February were $ 15.58 billion, up 0.2 percent on January, up 30.8 per cent on February 2003 and, on a year-to-date basis, up 32.8 percent on January/February 2003. Electronics Weekly is the London-based sister publication of Electronic News. reed-electronics.com