March’s ‘one-two-three’ calamity! What now for chip industry?

This is a summary by Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO, Future Horizons. For those who wish to know more, please get in touch with me or Future Horizons.   It was all going so well at the beginning of March when January’s WSTS results were released. The oil and North African issues were being taken

Aftermath of Japanese earthquake: Implications for global electronics industry!

This is a commentary on industry trends from Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO, Future Horizons. Importance of Japan Japan is a major producer of semiconductor components accounting for around 22 percent of global semiconductor production. The Flash memory market sector – crucially mobile phones, iPads and their derivatives, digital cameras, and portable storage devices, account

Boom turned to bust? Chip industry’s future!

Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO, Future Horizons, asked the question at the SEMI ISS2011 Europe event at Grenoble, France, early this week: Whether this is the time to rethink the industry assumptions? For instance, fabs have no strategic value, until you haven’t got one and lost control of your business. ASPs will keep on falling,

It’s Q1 seasonal slowdown, and yearly time for denial!

This is a summary by Malcolm Penn, CEO, Future Horizons. For those who wish to know more, please get in touch with me or Future Horizons. December’s WSTS results were as boring as they were predictable, with no serious data revisions (thankfully) and the results right where we expected. December’s year-on-year IC unit growth was

WSTS Dec. 2010 results boringly predictable!

This is a summary by Malcolm Penn, CEO, Future Horizons. For those who wish to know more, please get in touch with me, or, with Future Horizons. December’s WSTS results were as boring as they were predictable, with no serious data revisions (thankfully) and the results right where we expected.  December’s year-on-year IC unit growth

Time to stop agonising; 2011 will be a strong year!

This is a summary by Malcolm Penn, CEO, Future Horizons. For those who wish to know more, please get in touch with me. November’s WSTS results were distorted by a billion dollar downgrade (restatement) to the year-to-date numbers.  These things do happen from time to time, but one of this size quite rare. The overall

Round-up 2010: Best of semiconductors

Right then, folks! This is my last post for 2010, on my favorite topic – semiconductors. If 2009 was one of the worst, if not, the worst year ever for semiconductors, 2010 seems to be the best year for this industry, what with the analyst community forecasting that the global semicon industry will surpass the

This downturn was NOT a classic semiconductor bust and boom, ignore industry fundamentals at your peril: Future Horizons

According to Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO, Future Horizons, May’s semiconductor sales were up 2.6 percent on April, 3.6 percent for ICs, continuing the steady sequential industry growth that started in January 2009, 17 months ago. May’s results mean Q2-10 will show at least 8.3 percent quarterly growth over Q1-10, increasing the full year growth

June ’10 global semicon update: Forget 2010, ~30 percent’s in the bag! What about 2011?

Here are the excerpts from the Global Semiconductor Monthly Report, June 2010, provided by Malcolm Penn, chairman, founder and CEO of Future Horizons. There are a lot of charts associated with this report. The report also covers market trends. Those interested to know more may contact Future Horizons. April set the ball rolling for a

May 2010 global semicon update: Four quarters of sequential growth, yet still no one believes! Wake up, says Future Horizons

Here are the excerpts from the Global Semiconductor Monthly Report, May 2010, provided by Malcolm Penn, chairman, founder and CEO of Future Horizons. There are a lot of charts associated with this report. The report also covers market trends. Those interested to know more may contact Future Horizons. March’s total semiconductor sales came in at