Industry experts polled in April were slightly more optimistic about electronic component demand, bookings and order cancellations than they were in March. Of roughly 20,000 global respondents to Technology Partners Consultants’ April survey, 29 percent expect a better Q2, versus 23 percent the prior month. “Based on our survey results and conversations with various supply…
The fortunes of the electronics supply chain can change on a dime. Following two years of severe component shortages, demand is weakening, and inventories are too high, a March study found. One global distributor describes the environment as “normalizing” but cautions there’s still a lot of instability in the 2019 forecast. “Based on our survey…
Electrocomponents plc is continuing its transformation under CEO Lindsley Ruth, who joined the company from Future Electronics Inc. in 2015. The parent of RS Components and Allied Electronics & Automation has launched OKdo, a new global technology business to focus on single board computing (SBC) and the Internet of Things (IoT). OKdo has one simple…
A gauge of U.S. factory activity topped estimates in March, rebounding from a two-year low on strength in employment, new orders and manufacturing production. The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI reached 55.3 percent in March, a 1.1 percent increase from the prior month. Any number above 50 indicates manufacturing expansion. March made up for ground…
The principles surrounding conflict minerals sourcing are expanding into other materials, such as cobalt, copper and lithium. The broader initiative, called responsible minerals sourcing, focuses on the social and environmental impact of extracting and processing certain raw materials and preventing abuses often linked to those activities. Under U.S. legislation enacted in 2010, publicly-traded companies are…
Even as the electronics industry roared through 2017 and 2018, manufacturers bemoaned a lack of skilled labor. It’s been a recurrent theme in the Institute for Supply Management’s monthly factory index, and now the European Union (EU) fears its workforce will be stressed as electronics employment grows. A shortage of skilled workers is the industry’s…
Demand for semiconductors and passive components showed signs of weakening in February—a trend that is expected to last through the first half of the year. “Based on our findings, we believe the industry has yet to see a bottom as demand and bookings continue to weaken, as well as inventories continuing to rise,” said Technology…
Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies is suing the United States, claiming its equipment has been unfairly banned from America and wrongly identified as a security threat. In a live-streaming press conference Thursday, Huawei said it had filed a complaint in a U.S. federal court in Texas challenging Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act…
U.S. manufacturers may be facing a bumpy ride in Q1 as the nation’s factory activity cooled in February. New orders, production and employment all declined from January levels, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), and the PMI dropped 2.4 percentage points to 54.2 percent. As long as the PMI remains above 50, the manufacturing industry continues to expand. “We are still in the…
One of the strongest brands in electronics distribution, Newark, is re-claiming its name. Beginning March 1, Newark element14 has changed its name to Newark, an Avnet Company. Customers have known the business as Newark since it was established in the 1930s, and this name change acknowledges its strong relationship with its customers and its role as a key…