January IC sales reveal potential for strong recovery
Future Horizons reports that January's WSTS results continued to follow the underlying industry recovery trend, with ICs sales up 4.8% against December (on a five week month adjusted basis).
The Global Semiconductor Monthly Report adds that IC sales were also up 73.7% against January 2009, which Malcolm Penn, Future Horizons' ceo and chairman described as 'a relatively meaningless number other than to recall just how bad things were this time last year'.
Penn noted: "The real significance of January is its potential impact on first quarter sales. Were this run rate to continue through February and March, first quarter sales would be up 8% versus Q4 2009." According to Penn, that would make 2010 grow 40% on 2009.
He concluded: "This is by no means a forecast but it does serve to illustrate the strength of the recovery from the abyss this time last year."
