September Chip Sales Remained Strong at $21.4 Billion

SAN JOSE, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - November 2, 2006 - "Worldwide sales of semiconductors in September once again achieved a new high as electronic equipment manufacturers geared up for the fourth-quarter holiday season," said George Scalise, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). "Global chip sales rose to $21.4 billion, an increase of 9.3 percent from September 2005, and a 4.2 increase from the $20.5 billion reported in August 2006. Strong demand for consumer products, including cell phones, MP3 players, and personal computers were major drivers of increased chip sales."

Global semiconductor sales in the third quarter of 2006 were $64.1 billion compared to $59.3 billion in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 8 percent. For the first nine months of 2006, sales totaled $154 billion -- an increase of 8.5 percent from the $142 billion reported for the first nine months of 2005.

The SIA's Global Sales Report (GSR) is a three-month moving average of sales activity. The GSR is tabulated by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization, which represents approximately 66 companies. The moving average is a mathematical smoothing technique that mitigates variations due to companies' financial calendars.

Read more here...