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Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: matt dillabough who wrote (12250)	12/1/2004 9:12:12 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

SEMI drops chip equipment forecast through 2007 By Peter Clarke Silicon Strategies 12/01/2004, 8:33 AM ET CHIBA, Japan — The semiconductor manufacturing equipment market is now expected to grow 59 percent in 2004 to US$35.31 billion, according to the year-end edition of the SEMI Capital Equipment Consensus Forecast, released by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International at Semicon Japan. The world's leading manufacturers of semiconductor equipment expect a decline of 5.2 percent in the 2005 to US$33.49 billion followed by a 3.1 percent rise in 2006 to US$34.52 billion before rising 14.8 percent to US$39.61 billion in 2007. As a result SEMI's forecast of annual equipment sales is now nearly US$3 billion lower in 2005 and US$10 billion lower in 2006 than the organization was predicting in July 2004. "Following a robust growth year in 2004, SEMI members expect a pause in 2005 as semiconductor manufacturers digest the new manufacturing capacity," said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI, in a statement. "SEMI members see a slight decline in the overall market next year, followed by a moderate recovery in 2006 and a return to double digit market expansion in 2007." Wafer process equipment, which is largest segment by dollar value, is expected to decline 3 percent to US$23.17 billion in 2005. In the same period, the other front end equipment segment, which consists of mask and wafer making equipment as well as fab facilities, is projected decline 5 percent to $2.64 billion. Test equipment, which experienced growth in excess of 50 percent in 2003 and 2004, will see sales decrease about 9 percent in 2005 to $5.64 billion. Assembly and packaging equipment is forecast to decline faster and recover more quickly with a decline of 14 percent in 2005 and gains of 11 percent and 25 percent respectively in 2006 and 2007. When looked at by geography the equipment market in Japan, which more than doubled in the period from 2002 to 2004, will remain the world's largest market for semiconductor equipment in 2005, though it is projected to decline about 14 percent to $6.79 billion. Other market regions expected to decline in 2005 include Taiwan (8 percent), Europe (1 percent), Rest of World (6 percent) and South Korea (about 1 percent). North America and China are the only market regions forecast to grow in 2005, albeit slightly. The SEMI Year-end Consensus Forecast is based on interviews conducted between October and November 2004 with companies representing a majority of the total sales volume for the global semiconductor equipment industry.

To: matt dillabough who wrote (12250)	12/1/2004 10:35:04 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

Fairchild expects to meet guidance, appoints new exec By Spencer Chin EE Times 12/01/2004, 9:30 AM ET MANHASSET, N.Y. — Fairchild Semiconductor announced Wednesday (Dec. 1) that improving order rates will lift the company's fourth quarter sales to the higher end of its previous guidance of down 5 to 10 percent sequentially from the third-quarter total of $409.7 million. The South Portland, Maine, semiconductor supplier also expects gross margins to settle at the lower end of the guided range, down 200 to 400 basis points from the third quarter, due to moderate pricing pressure and continued efforts to adjust factory loadings to reduce distribution inventories. "Bookings improved during the first half of this quarter," said Kirk Pond, Fairchild's president, chief executive, and chairman, in a statement. "Order rates increased from the third quarter levels but are still below the unsustainably high booking rates we experienced in the first half of this year. We're seeing improved demand from our distribution customers as they steadily reduce inventories in the channel." Pond added that demand has been strong for products serving the consumer, computing and power supply markets, and has improved in the Asia region, particularly China. In a separate announcement, Fairchild named Mark Thompson executive vice president, Manufacturing and Technology Group, a new position in the company. Thompson will be responsible for all manufacturing, technology and quality initiatives at Fairchild, reporting directly to Pond. Thompson previously served as vice president and general manager of Tyco Electronics Power Components Division and, prior to its acquisition by Tyco, as vice president of Raychem Electronics OEM Group. Most recently, Thompson served as CEO of Big Bear Networks, which designs and manufactures highly integrated, optoelectronic interface solutions for next generation networks.