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July Sales Data Suggest Strong, Swift Recovery Underway
With limited capex spending, can shortages be far away?

In a remarkable turnaround, July IC sales and unit volume numbers indicate that the IC industry is in the midst of a solid, "V-shaped" rebound. Data shows the upturn is not limited to one or two areas, but is being experienced across many product lines including DRAM, NAND flash memory, analog, and microprocessors, as well as the overall IC industry. Though some of the markets were down on a year-over-year basis, the real eye-opening trends are revealed when looking at how far IC markets have come since the beginning of the year (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Growth has been explosive in the 7-month period from January to July 2009 for all the product categories shown in the figure. This is true for both dollar volume and unit volume. Granted, in January, the semiconductor market was at (or nearly at) its lowest point of the current downturn, but there is no doubt from examining July data that markets have rebounded—in several cases, surpassing levels from the same time last year. The IC industry is not wallowing in a slow, prolonged recovery. Rather, the IC industry recovery is "V-shaped" and is clearly underway.

IC Insights believes the market for ICs is set up for strong growth continuing into 2010 and 2011. Several companies have hinted of stronger bookings and/or production ramps through the balance of 2009 and 2010, global and U.S. GDP outlooks have moved well into positive territory and, in the U.S., about 60% of the $750 billion economic stimulus package is expected to be spent in 2010 and 20% in 2011—good reasons to believe the economic engine will move into a higher gear.

But, what has captured IC Insights' attention above all else is the fact that many wafer fabs and production lines have closed since 4Q08, resulting in reduced industry-wide capacity as the market returns to health. Recently, IC Insights showed that IC industry capacity utilization jumped to 78% in 2Q09 from 57% in 1Q09 and is forecast to increase to around 90% by the end of the year. With significant IC unit demand on the horizon and little capital spending being allocated for new/upgraded facilities, industry-wide capacity utilization stands a very good chance of being maxed out in the coming months, resulting in longer lead times, spot shortages, and escalating average selling prices throughout the industry. That's quite a contrast from the calamitous situation that characterized the market only a few months ago.

On Thursday, September 17, 2009, IC Insights will review these and other market trends to watch during its annual Fall Forecast Seminar held in Sunnyvale, California. The half-day (9:00am to 12:00pm) seminar will present IC Insights' current market forecast, expound on developing trends, and give you plenty of reason to leave feeling optimistic about the future of the IC market. Visit http://www.icinsights.com/events/fallforecast/ or call today to sign up for the Fall Forecast Seminar. Subscribers to IC Insights' reports and services pay just $245.

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About IC Insights

IC Insights, Inc., based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is dedicated to providing high-quality, cost-effective market research for the semiconductor industry. Founded in 1997, IC Insights offers coverage of global economic trends, semiconductor market forecasts, capital spending and fab capacity trends, product market details, and technology trends, as well as complete IC company profiles and evaluations of end-use applications driving demand for ICs.

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		Bulletin
	September 15, 2009
	July Sales Data Suggest Strong, Swift Recovery Underway With limited capex spending, can shortages be far away? In a remarkable turnaround, July IC sales and unit volume numbers indicate that the IC industry is in the midst of a solid, "V-shaped" rebound. Data shows the upturn is not limited to one or two areas, but is being experienced across many product lines including DRAM, NAND flash memory, analog, and microprocessors, as well as the overall IC industry. Though some of the markets were down on a year-over-year basis, the real eye-opening trends are revealed when looking at how far IC markets have come since the beginning of the year (Figure 1). Figure 1 Growth has been explosive in the 7-month period from January to July 2009 for all the product categories shown in the figure. This is true for both dollar volume and unit volume. Granted, in January, the semiconductor market was at (or nearly at) its lowest point of the current downturn, but there is no doubt from examining July data that markets have rebounded—in several cases, surpassing levels from the same time last year. The IC industry is not wallowing in a slow, prolonged recovery. Rather, the IC industry recovery is "V-shaped" and is clearly underway. IC Insights believes the market for ICs is set up for strong growth continuing into 2010 and 2011. Several companies have hinted of stronger bookings and/or production ramps through the balance of 2009 and 2010, global and U.S. GDP outlooks have moved well into positive territory and, in the U.S., about 60% of the $750 billion economic stimulus package is expected to be spent in 2010 and 20% in 2011—good reasons to believe the economic engine will move into a higher gear. But, what has captured IC Insights' attention above all else is the fact that many wafer fabs and production lines have closed since 4Q08, resulting in reduced industry-wide capacity as the market returns to health. Recently, IC Insights showed that IC industry capacity utilization jumped to 78% in 2Q09 from 57% in 1Q09 and is forecast to increase to around 90% by the end of the year. With significant IC unit demand on the horizon and little capital spending being allocated for new/upgraded facilities, industry-wide capacity utilization stands a very good chance of being maxed out in the coming months, resulting in longer lead times, spot shortages, and escalating average selling prices throughout the industry. That's quite a contrast from the calamitous situation that characterized the market only a few months ago. On Thursday, September 17, 2009, IC Insights will review these and other market trends to watch during its annual *Fall Forecast Seminar* held in Sunnyvale, California. The half-day (9:00am to 12:00pm) seminar will present IC Insights' current market forecast, expound on developing trends, and give you plenty of reason to leave feeling optimistic about the future of the IC market. Visit http://www.icinsights.com/events/fallforecast/ or call today to sign up for the *Fall Forecast Seminar. Subscribers to IC Insights' reports and services pay just $245. More Information Contact* About IC Insights IC Insights, Inc., based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is dedicated to providing high-quality, cost-effective market research for the semiconductor industry. Founded in 1997, IC Insights offers coverage of global economic trends, semiconductor market forecasts, capital spending and fab capacity trends, product market details, and technology trends, as well as complete IC company profiles and evaluations of end-use applications driving demand for ICs.
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