May Semiconductor Sales Increase 5.4 Percent Month on Month

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $16.5 billion in May, an increase of 5.4 percent from April when sales were $15.6 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. May sales were 23.2 percent lower than May 2008 when sales were $21.5 billion. All sales numbers represent a three-month moving average of global semiconductor sales.

“The May sales numbers reflect the third-consecutive month of sequential growth for the semiconductor industry,” said SIA President George Scalise. “The sequential monthly increases lead us to be cautiously optimistic about a return to normal seasonal patterns for the industry going forward.”

Scalise noted that as semiconductors become ever-more pervasive in a growing array of products, the global microchip industry increasingly mirrors the performance of the overall economy. “As consumer confidence returns and the economy resumes growth, we expect the industry to reflect those patterns,” Scalise concluded.

About the SIA Global Sales Report

The SIA 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, an independent, non-profit organization established by the global semiconductor industry to compile industry statistics. The moving average is a mathematical smoothing technique that mitigates variations due to differences in companies’ financial calendars.

May 2009
Billions
Month-to-Month Sales
Market		Last Month		Current Month		% Change
Americas		2.62		2.72		3.9%
Europe		2.17		2.18		0.4%
Japan		2.57		2.75		7.2%
Asia Pacific		8.29		8.84		6.7%
Total		15.64		16.49		5.4%
Year-to-Year Sales
Market		Last Year		Current Month		% Change
Americas		3.38		2.72		-19.4%
Europe		3.33		2.18		-34.6%
Japan		4.24		2.75		-35.1%
Asia Pacific		10.52		8.84		-15.9%
Total		21.46		16.49		-23.2%
Three-Month-Moving Average Sales
Market		Dec / Jan / Feb		Mar / Apr / May		% Change
Americas		2.46		2.72		10.6%
Europe		2.12		2.18		2.6%
Japan		2.79		2.75		-1.3%
Asia Pacific		6.86		8.84		28.9%
Total		14.23		16.49		15.9%

About the SIA

The SIA is the leading voice for the semiconductor industry and has represented U.S. semiconductor companies since 1977. Collectively, the chip industry employs a domestic workforce of approximately 200,000 people. The semiconductor industry is America’s second-largest exporting industry. More information about the SIA can be found at www.sia-online.org.

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