The semiconductor industry has every reason to be optimistic for the rest of the year. Global semiconductor sales registered their highest-ever quarterly sales increase during Q3 to $107.9 billion; and optoelectronics, sensors, actuators and discretes (OSD) are on track to set record-high annual revenues in 2017. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported global Q3 chip sales…
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the technology sector continue on an upward trend in 2017, although at a slower pace. For purchasers this could translate into growing component obsolescence or it could mean a chance to negotiate better pricing for more products from fewer suppliers. Global M&As in the first half of 2017 increased 8.4…
There’s no short-term relief ahead for electronics manufacturers that are scrambling for components. Tight supplies of capacitors and resistors are expected to last into mid-2018—longer than industry experts expected. The dreaded words “allocation” and “double-ordering” are coming up more frequently, meaning OEMs and EMS providers are facing long-term sourcing challenges. Thick- and thin-film chip resistor…
The global semiconductor market is forecast to reach $411.1 billion in 2017, an increase of 19.7 percent from 2016, according to Gartner, Inc. This is up from the market research firm’s previous revenue forecast of $401.4 billion. Analysts attribute growth to the memory device segment, which has been marked by price hikes and tight supply…
Industry analysts agree the semiconductor industry achieved one of its best second quarters in revenue growth, driven by the booming memory device market. The DRAM market, in particular, is expected to reach record growth levels in 2017. The semiconductor industry posted 6.1 percent growth compared to the previous quarter, reaching near record growth in the…
There are early signs that a price war is looming in the DRAM market, and it should be no surprise considering the cyclical nature of the memory device industry. DRAM prices have been steadily rising for about a year, but that upward trend may be coming to an end with planned capex and production capacity…
Strong demand and rising prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory is driving capital expenditure budgets in 2017. Semiconductor capital spending is forecast to grow between 10 to 20 percent this year. Although memory device manufacturers are investing in both production capacity as well as technology migrations, tight supply of DRAM and NAND flash is…
DRAM buyers continued to face tight supply and rising prices in the second quarter of 2017 with no relief in sight in the second half of the year. Pricing for DRAMs is expected to remain on an upward trend, while production capacity expansion will be limited in the second half of 2017. Suppliers are expected…
Electronic component suppliers have been complaining for years about eroding prices. With many types components currently in short supply, prices have finally begun to tick up. But are any of these price hikes sustainable? Typically, the answer is “no.” A continual stream of better-smaller-faster components exerts downward price pressure on older-generation products. However, one research…
A memory shortage, which has driven up supplier pricing and margins over the past year for DRAM and NAND flash devices, is now spurring semiconductor revenue growth above the $400 billion mark in 2017. The global semiconductor industry is forecast to reach $401.4 billion in 2017, up 16.8 percent from 2016, according to Gartner, Inc.…