Global semiconductor sales increase in October, remain above seasonal rate

USA: The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $25.22 billion for the month of October 2012, a 1.7 percent increase from the prior month when sales were $24.79 billion.

Monthly sales topped $25 billion for the first time in 2012 and remained above the seasonal growth rate in October. Total year-to-date sales in 2012 were down 3.7 percent compared to the same time last year, but the deficit was smaller than it has been all year. Regionally, sales increased in the Americas by 8.1 percent, marking the region's largest sequential monthly upsurge in the last decade. All monthly sales numbers represent a three-month moving average.

"The global semiconductor industry has demonstrated impressive resilience this year, despite operating in a challenging global macroeconomic environment," said Brian Toohey, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association.

"Sales for 2012 continue to lag behind 2011 totals, but the gap has closed in recent months thanks largely to growth in the Americas. Sales for October were significantly above seasonal trends, and we expect to carry this momentum into 2013 and 2014, with moderate growth projected for both years. SIA will continue to advocate on behalf of the industry for policies that promote growth and allow the industry to flourish."        

On a regional basis, sequential monthly sales also increased in Asia Pacific (1.3 percent) and Europe (0.2 percent), but decreased in Japan (-3.1 percent). In the Americas, combined sales from August through October grew sharply (15.5 percent) compared to sales from May through July.

Additionally, SIA endorsed the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization's Autumn 2012 global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects that the industry's worldwide sales will reach $290 billion in 2012 – a 3.2 percent decrease from the 2011 sales total. WSTS projects year-over-year declines for 2012 in all four major regions: the Americas (-4.4 percent), Europe (-10.7 percent), Japan (-2.1 percent) and Asia Pacific (-1.4 percent).

Beyond 2012, the industry is expected to grow steadily and moderately across all regions, according to the WSTS forecast. WSTS predicts 4.5 percent growth globally for 2013 ($303 billion in total sales) and 5.2 percent growth for 2014 ($319 billion). WSTS tabulates its annual forecast by convening an extensive group of global semiconductor companies that provide accurate and timely indicators of semiconductor trends.