Chip sales buoyant in September

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 30 Oct 2007 at 10:41

Global microchip sales rose 5.9% in September, boosted by demand for mobile phones and laptops, according to figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

Microchip sales in September were worth $22.6 billion, compared with $21.3 billion last year. Third-quarter sales rose about 6% to $67.8 billion from $64.0 billion in the same period last year.

The association also reports that sales of NAND flash memory were up 46.2% from the prior quarter, while semiconductor sales for the first nine months ran slightly ahead of its previous forecast.

"The increase in worldwide sales of 13.2% from the prior quarter reflects historic patterns as the holiday season build began," says SIA President George Scalise.

In June, SIA said it expected microchip sales to reach $252 billion in 2007 as prices fall rapidly in microprocessors, DRAM, and flash memory. However its forecast called for growth of only 1.8% this year, much slower than an earlier projection of 10% growth, as prices in key markets tumble.