AI (artificial intelligence) is widely cited as a growth driver for the technology industry, including semiconductors. While AI is in its early stages, opinions vary on whether it will become common in the next few years. A McKinsey study from May 2024 showed 72% of organizations have adopted AI in at least one business function.… Read More
Asia Driving Electronics Growth
Electronics production in the major developed countries has been showing slow growth or declines in 2024. United States electronics production three-month-average change versus a year ago (3/12 change) was 0.4% in July 2024, the slowest since the pandemic year of 2020. Growth has been slowing since averaging 6.5% in 2022 and… Read More
Robust Semiconductor Market in 2024
The global semiconductor market reached $149.9 billion in the second quarter of 2024, according to WSTS. 2Q 2024 was up 6.5% from 1Q 2024 and up 18.3% from a year ago. WSTS revised 1Q 2024 up by $3 billion, making 1Q 2024 up 17.8% from a year ago instead of the previous 15.3%.
The major semiconductor companies posted generally strong… Read More
Semiconductor CapEx Down in 2024, Up Strongly in 2025
The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act provides incentives for semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. As of July 30, 2024, The CHIPS Program Office has announced over $30 billion in grants and over $25 billion in loans, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). The awards have been given to fourteen companies;… Read More
Automotive Semiconductor Market Slowing
We at Semiconductor Intelligence estimate the automotive semiconductor market was $67 billion in 2023, up 12% from 2022. The top twelve suppliers accounted for over three-quarters of the market. Infineon Technologies was the largest automotive semiconductor supplier, at $9.2 billion or 13.7% of the market. NXP Semiconductors… Read More
2024 Starts Slow, But Primed for Growth
The global semiconductor market in 1Q 2024 was $137.7 billion, according to WSTS. 1Q 2024 was down 5.7% from 4Q 2023 and up 15.2% from a year ago. The first quarter of the year is typically down seasonally from the fourth quarter of the prior year. However, the 1Q 2024 decline of 5.7% was worse than expected.
Major semiconductor companies… Read More
Electronics Turns Positive
Unit shipments of both PCs and smartphones versus a year ago have turned positive. According to IDC, PC shipments in 1Q 2024 were up 1.5% from 1Q 2023, the first positive year-to-year change since 4Q 2021. Smartphone year-to-year growth turned positive in 4Q 2023 at 8.5%. The growth continued in 1Q 2024 at 7.8%. 4Q 2023 was the first… Read More
Semiconductor CapEx Down in 2024
U.S. President Biden announced on Wednesday an agreement to provide Intel with $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans under the CHIPS and Science Act. Intel will use the funding for wafer fabs in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon. As reported in our December 2023 newsletter, the CHIPS Act provides a total of $52.7… Read More
Strong End to 2023 Drives Healthy 2024
The global semiconductor market grew 8.4% in 4Q 2023 from 3Q 2023, according to WSTS. The 8.4% gain was the highest quarter-to-quarter growth since 9.1% in 2Q 2021. This was also the highest 3Q to 4Q increase in 20 years, since an 11% rise in 4Q 2003. 4Q 2023 was up 11.6% from a year ago, following five quarters of negative year-to-year… Read More
CES 2024
CES 2024 is being held this week in Las Vegas, Nevada with an estimated 130,000 attendees and over 4,000 exhibitors. CES (previously Consumer Electronics Show) has been held in Las Vegas every year since 1978, except for 2021 due to COVID-19. This was my ninth CES representing Semiconductor Intelligence, with the first in 2012.… Read More