Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: matt dillabough who wrote (15124)	5/26/2005 12:54:57 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

IC Insights raises chip forecast to positive ground Mark LaPedus EE Times (05/26/2005 10:49 AM EDT) SAN JOSE, Calif. — A surprising boost in the economy and other factors have prompted IC Insights Inc. to raise its worldwide semiconductor forecast from minus 2 percent to plus 4 percent in 2005. In January , Bill McClean, president of IC Insights (Scottsdale, Ariz.), originally projected a gloomy 2 percent drop in the semiconductor industry in 2005 amid a down cycle in the business. Now, McClean sees a more positive scenario in the market, as he projects that the IC market will hit $186.5 billion in terms of revenues in 2005, up 4 percent over 2004. Unit volumes are projected to remain flat at 105.6 billion in 2005, while average selling prices (ASPs) are expected to climb by 4 percent to $1.77, he said. The analyst has not changed his forecast for capital spending, which calls for a 5 percent decline to $43.4 billion in 2005. Clearly, though, there is more optimism in the market. Wireless and NAND flash have shown strong growth in early 2005, thereby providing a boost for the year, he said. "Major IC inventory adjustments (were) completed ahead of schedule," he added. What's more, the analyst sees stronger-than-expected growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for China, Japan and the United States. On the other hand, there are some worrisome signs, which could impact overall growth in the IC industry. The silicon foundry and DRAM markets are weak, while high oil prices remain a concern, he added. A few other analysts have also raised their forecasts. A surge in average selling prices (ASPs) for ICs has prompted one investment banking firm to raise its overall semiconductor growth forecast from minus 0.5 percent to positive 7.1 percent in 2005. Paul Leming, an analyst with Princeton Tech Research (Princeton Junction, N.J.), in a recent report also lowered his IC forecast for 2006, from positive 9.8 percent growth to plus 6 percent. In 2007, the total IC market is expected to grow 9.3 percent, Leming said. The figures include ICs, memories, discretes, optoelectronics and sensors (see May 24 story).

To: matt dillabough who wrote (15124)	5/27/2005 8:17:57 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 25522

NEC doubles plan at 300-mm fab launch Yoshiko Hara (05/27/2005 5:57 AM EDT) TOKYO — NEC Electronics Corp. has officially celebrated the launch of its 300-mm wafer fab at Yamagata and has started to ramp its manufacturing capacity towards 20,000 wafers a month. The fab is scheduled to make an embedded graphics chip for inclusion in Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console and the chip is expected to be one of the fab's first major products. The 20,000 wafer per month figure is double the manufacturing capacity of an original plan announced in April 2004. The fab, at NEC Electronic's wholly-owned semiconductor manufacturing subsidiary in Tsuruoka city, Yamagata prefecture in the northern part of Japan, is designed to join a newly-built B fab to an existing A fab and 300-mm wafer production is due to expand from the A fab to the B fab. The company said that the fab could be flexibly expanded depending on the demand. The 300-mm line, which started operation last December at the existing A fab with a monthly capacity of 4,000 wafers, is equipped with facilities for 130- and 90-nanometer manufacturing processes. With the official launch, the company said it plans to expand into the new B fab to reach 6,000 wafers a month by September. NEC Electronics has invested about 80 billion yen (about $742 million) on the 300-mm fab in the last fiscal year and plans to add another 50 billion yen (about $464 million) in this fiscal year.