Recent Posts
Going the Right Way . . . if We Can Control Pandemic
Global business conditions continued to improve through October although the rate of improvement slowed a bit as pandemic concerns increased (Chart 1).
Mid-Year End Market Recovery Plus Continued Autumn Semiconductor Strength
Although the semiconductor chip and capital equipment markets performed well in the first half of 2020, many of the electronic equipment end markets struggled globally. World electronic equipment sales declined almost 10% in 2Q’20 vs. 2Q’19 (Chart...
Semiconductors Outperforming Most Industries – but Watch Second Half
Things are picking up.
Semiconductor Industry vs. Global Pandemic
The World Bank just released its updated Global Outlook for 2020 and 2021. The text is long but very worth reading.
Tough and Unpredictable Times Ahead
March and April world data clearly showed the impact of the global manufacturing slowdown driven by COVID-19. The world purchasing manager’s index plunged from 47.3 in March to 39.8 in April (Chart 1). Values below 50 indicate a manufacturing...
Coronavirus Takes on Electronics Industry
Plunging stock prices and Coronavirus-driven business shutdowns presently dominate the news. Current economic data, including the recently released February Global Purchasing Manager Index, support earlier negative predictions of an imminent...
SEMI Equipment Growth Continued Through Year-End But Coronavirus Impact Looms
Data through December showed a steady recovery in the global electronic supply chain with SEMI equipment leading the way in 3/12 growth (Chart 1). The global purchasing managers index moved into expansion territory (PMI>50) in January indicating...
Cautious Industry Outlook But . . . World SEMI Equipment Growth Resumes!
World Manufacturing Growth Flat to Start 2020 (Chart 1)
The December Global Purchasing Managers Index was in zero growth territory (PMI = 50). However, the various country components varied significantly. With IHS Markit PMI data as a gauge of...