Flat growth is ‘encouraging’
Sales of semiconductors in Q2 2008 are likely to be about $63.5bn, says research company Gartner, adding this will represent flat growth compared with sales in the first quarter of 2008.
According to the company, this represents encouraging market strength, given continuing worries about the global economy. “While this may appear to be a disappointing result,” said Gartner analyst Richard Gordon, “it actually represents encouraging market strength, given the ongoing worries about the potential negative impact on the electronics and semiconductor markets from worsening global macroeconomic conditions.”
Gartner says attention now switches to the third quarter – traditionally a strong growth quarter for the semiconductor industry. “Continued end market demand strength in the second half of the year is crucial to bring down semiconductor supply chain inventory levels and to guarantee positive annual revenue growth,” Gordon concluded.
