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Technology Stocks : Micron Only Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Doug M. who wrote (44415)	3/26/1999 10:37:00 AM
From: Fabeyes	Respond to of 53903

There was an article on this thread a few weeks ago about that subject; but I can't find it for some reason -- will get back to you.

To: Doug M. who wrote (44415)	3/26/1999 10:40:00 AM
From: Fabeyes	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 53903

FOUND IT Korea has emerged as the world's largest supplier of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, outstripping longtime frontrunner Japan for the first time beginning DRAM production 15 years ago. According to statistics released by the International Data Corp. (IDC), the combined share of Korean DRAM manufacturers in the world market soared to 40.9 percent last year, outperforming Japan's 36.3 percent. IDC data showed that Korea's emergence as the uncontested leader in the worldwide DRAM market is largely due to the strong performance of Hyundai Electronics Industries, the chip manufacturing arm of Korea's largest conglomerate. HEI's market share jumped by an annualized 4.4 percent to 12.4 percent last year, second only to Samsung Electronics, which maintained the top spot with a 20.1 percent market share in the same period. LG Semicon, another Korean DRAM maker, edged up a notch in the rankings to fifth, grabbing an 8.4 percent market share last year, and contributing to the nation's success in becoming the largest DRAM chip supplier in the world. Micron Technology of the United States was third with 9.2 percent, followed by Japan's NEC with 9.1 percent, LG Semicon, Toshiba with 7.9 percent, Siemens with 7.8 percent and Mitsubishi with 6.9 percent. Hitachi with 6.5 percent and Fujitsu with 5.9 percent rounded out the top ten. Despite the sizable contraction in global DRAM sales, the three Korean players held their ground more successfully than their Japanese counterparts, registering an overall 15.7 percent decrease in DRAM sales compared to the combined 35.1 percent drop of their five Japanese rivals. Korean DRAM suppliers had lagged behind Japanese competitors by 5-6 percent in terms of combined market share until 1997. Analysts attributed the strong performance of Korean DRAM suppliers to large-scale facilities investments made in the 1995-96 period and earlier to launch 64-megabit DRAM products. Meanwhile, Japanese DRAM makers drastically cut their production last year. NEC, which ran a close race with Samsung for the top spot, registered $1.28 billion in turnover last year, down from $2.31 billion a year earlier. According to IDC data, the top 10 producers controlled 94 percent of the global DRAM market, which shrunk 29 percent last year to $14 billion. Among the top 10, only HEI and Siemens saw sales growth in 1998.