News
WASHINGTON – Durable goods orders fell in September for the second straight month, the Commerce Department reported today. Orders dropped 1.7% after dropping 5.3% in August, the first back-to-back declines in more than a year, on lower demand for autos, computers and electronics products, among other items.
Most economists felt orders would rise, and blame is being attributed to housing finance and other credit problems.
Most economists felt orders would rise, and blame is being attributed to housing finance and other credit problems.
Durables are defined as manufactured goods that have a life of at least three years.
LOUISVILLE — Sypris Solutions today reported net income of $2.6 million on revenues of $104.5 million for its third quarter ended Sept. 30.
BALVE, GERMANY – Solder
and anode specialist Balver Zinn will sponsor Bob Willis’ Process Advice and
Defect Clinic at Productronica next month.
The exhibition takes place Nov. 13-16, at the Munich Trade Fair Center in Munich, Germany.
The company will also showcase its range of solder paste, solder fluxes and related products in hall A3 stand 478, including the SN100C solder range, for which its held a license for five years. Furthermore, Balver Zinn will soon announce availability of this product as a SMT paste.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – If you thought the 32" plasma display panel had been relegated to the annals of consumer electronics history, think again, iSuppli Corp. says.
In the second quarter, LG Electronics brought the 32" VGA-resolution PDP back to meet rising demand spurred by constrained supplies of LCD-TV panels of the same size. The reintroduction of the 32" size comes as a shift in direction for the PDP market, which has been focusing on large 40" to 44" and 50" to 59" panels, says the research firm.
iSuppli forecasts the global 34" and smaller PDP market will grow to 485,000 units by 2011, up from 400,000 units shipped in 2007. (No units were shipped in 2006.) While this volume and growth are not huge, they are enough to justify the market reintroduction by LG Electronics. The other panel makers are likely to follow should LG succeed, iSuppli believes.
Plunging prices are making PDPs more competitive at the 32" size. The average selling price for PDP panels sized 34" and smaller will decline to $124 by 2011, down from $215 in 2007. The ASP for 2006 is not available, given that PDP vendors didn’t sell any panels at the 34" and smaller size.
However, the PDP suppliers now face the same obstacle they did when the 32" PDP was in vogue in the 2004/2005 time frame: The VGA resolution of such panels delivers a far lower picture quality than that of a same-sized LCD, says iSuppli.
Despite this, LG’s gambit is already showing some success in the Chinese market thanks to the attractive price point.
While PDP panels are making a return in a size long thought dead, plasma systems actually are enjoying sales growth in the business market. One of the biggest reasons for this growth is that the declining ASP of PDPs makes them compelling for the conference room and education markets. A growing number of PDP displays are being sold as replacements for projectors in conference rooms, for corporate training rooms and lecture halls to accommodate a larger number of audience members, according to iSuppli.
The hospitality industry and those who maintain signage in indoor arenas also are taking advantage of the lower prices to upgrade picture quality and capitalize on plasma’s appealing form factor.
Emerging uses arising for plasma systems include rental and staging markets; video walls, using 84" and larger PDPs; transportation, financial exchanges and control rooms.
Affordable pricing and an attractive form factor also are reasons why PDP system sales are still growing in the consumer market, although at a far more moderate pace than LCDs. The 50" PDPs are available for less than $2,000, and 42" inch models can be bought for $1,000 to $1,500, says iSuppli. The pricing factor has bolstered PDP sales, despite the recent price reductions and higher resolutions for LCDs.
In the second quarter, LG Electronics brought the 32" VGA-resolution PDP back to meet rising demand spurred by constrained supplies of LCD-TV panels of the same size. The reintroduction of the 32" size comes as a shift in direction for the PDP market, which has been focusing on large 40" to 44" and 50" to 59" panels, says the research firm.
iSuppli forecasts the global 34" and smaller PDP market will grow to 485,000 units by 2011, up from 400,000 units shipped in 2007. (No units were shipped in 2006.) While this volume and growth are not huge, they are enough to justify the market reintroduction by LG Electronics. The other panel makers are likely to follow should LG succeed, iSuppli believes.
Plunging prices are making PDPs more competitive at the 32" size. The average selling price for PDP panels sized 34" and smaller will decline to $124 by 2011, down from $215 in 2007. The ASP for 2006 is not available, given that PDP vendors didn’t sell any panels at the 34" and smaller size.
However, the PDP suppliers now face the same obstacle they did when the 32" PDP was in vogue in the 2004/2005 time frame: The VGA resolution of such panels delivers a far lower picture quality than that of a same-sized LCD, says iSuppli.
Despite this, LG’s gambit is already showing some success in the Chinese market thanks to the attractive price point.
While PDP panels are making a return in a size long thought dead, plasma systems actually are enjoying sales growth in the business market. One of the biggest reasons for this growth is that the declining ASP of PDPs makes them compelling for the conference room and education markets. A growing number of PDP displays are being sold as replacements for projectors in conference rooms, for corporate training rooms and lecture halls to accommodate a larger number of audience members, according to iSuppli.
The hospitality industry and those who maintain signage in indoor arenas also are taking advantage of the lower prices to upgrade picture quality and capitalize on plasma’s appealing form factor.
Emerging uses arising for plasma systems include rental and staging markets; video walls, using 84" and larger PDPs; transportation, financial exchanges and control rooms.
Affordable pricing and an attractive form factor also are reasons why PDP system sales are still growing in the consumer market, although at a far more moderate pace than LCDs. The 50" PDPs are available for less than $2,000, and 42" inch models can be bought for $1,000 to $1,500, says iSuppli. The pricing factor has bolstered PDP sales, despite the recent price reductions and higher resolutions for LCDs.
ELKHART, IN – CTS Corp. announced third-quarter revenues of $174.8 million and net earnings of $7.8 million. EMS sales improved 5% year-over-year on higher demand for industrial, defense and aerospace.
Revenue increased 6% year-over-year, driven by the components and sensors segment sales, which increased 6%, primarily from higher sales into infrastructure applications and automotive components, says CTS.
Net earnings were up about 20% compared to the same period in 2006.
“Looking forward, we continue to expect sales growth from new products, new customers and tuck-in acquisitions. Earnings in 2008 are further expected to benefit from the fact that certain unusual costs such as the Moorpark investigation, CEO transition and Czech Republic startup … will be behind us,” said Vinod M. Khilnani, CTS president and CEO.
The company earlier stated it would take about a $4 million charge to earnings due to financial irregularities at the company's Moorpark, CA, EMS site. An earlier investigation found "problematic entries" in certain accounts, which the company later confirmed were substantially all made by or caused to be made by the former plant controller. The facility was acquired by CTS as part of its SMTEK acquisition in the first quarter 2005.
Revenue increased 6% year-over-year, driven by the components and sensors segment sales, which increased 6%, primarily from higher sales into infrastructure applications and automotive components, says CTS.
Net earnings were up about 20% compared to the same period in 2006.
“Looking forward, we continue to expect sales growth from new products, new customers and tuck-in acquisitions. Earnings in 2008 are further expected to benefit from the fact that certain unusual costs such as the Moorpark investigation, CEO transition and Czech Republic startup … will be behind us,” said Vinod M. Khilnani, CTS president and CEO.
The company earlier stated it would take about a $4 million charge to earnings due to financial irregularities at the company's Moorpark, CA, EMS site. An earlier investigation found "problematic entries" in certain accounts, which the company later confirmed were substantially all made by or caused to be made by the former plant controller. The facility was acquired by CTS as part of its SMTEK acquisition in the first quarter 2005.
SAN JOSE – Flextronics announced net sales rose 18% year-over-year to $5.6 billion in the second quarter, at the high end of the company's previous guidance.
SAN JOSE, CA – The Semiconductor Industry Association applauded today’s announcement by U.S. Trade Rep. Susan C. Schwab that the U.S., Canada, the European Commission, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Switzerland would seek to initiate negotiations on an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Nokia increased its mobile phone unit shipments in the third quarter by more than the total second-quarter shipments of Fujitsu, Ningbo Bird, TCL-Alcatel, Panasonic, Pantech & Curitel, and UTStarcom combined – and more than the collective increases in shipments from the other four top mobile-handset suppliers in the third quarter.
Nokia’s global mobile-handset shipments rose by a stunning 10.9 million units compared to the second quarter, says iSuppli Corp. The sales leader increased its shipments to 111.7 million units, up 10.8% sequentially. This gave the company a global market share of 39.5%, up from 37.9% in the second quarter.
“The company’s shipments of ‘convergence’ mobile phones that integrate multimedia and smart-phone features grew by 53.8%” year-over-year, said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli.
The disappointment in Nokia’s third-quarter results came in its its performance in the Americas , where it a shipment decline of 12.7% in Latin America and 1.7% in North America vs. last year.
Worldwide mobile phone shipments amounted to 283 million units, up 6.4% sequentially and 15.4% compared to the third quarter in 2006, according to iSuppli.
High first-time sales of phones in emerging markets and high replacement rates in Europe were the major factor driving the growth.
The Top-5 mobile handset suppliers benefited from the healthy growth, with all of these companies increasing their shipments during the third quarter compared to the second.
Combined shipments for these companies rose 9.6% sequentially.
While Nokia’s unit shipment gain was impressive, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. of South Korea actually posted a slightly larger increase on a percentage basis, helping the company to maintain the second rank in the industry.
Samsung’s global mobile-handset shipments rose to 42.6 million units, up 13.9% sequentially. Compared to the same quarter last year, Samsung’s shipments rose by 38.8%, the highest rate of all the Top-5 mobile-handset makers.
This boosted Samsung’s market share to 15.1%, up from 14.1% in the second quarter, 2.2 points over No. 3 Motorola.
“Samsung’s strong performance was due to impressive increases in shipments in the European and Americas regions,” Teng said. “The company’s shipments in Europe and the Americas rose by 28.1% and 26.6% respectively in the third quarter. This more than offset the 6% sequential decline in shipments in Asia during the same period.”
Based on iSuppli’s preliminary estimate of Motorola’s share, the company shipped 36.5 million mobile handsets, up 2.8% sequentially. This lagged the handset market’s overall shipment growth rate of 6.4%, but kept Motorola’s market share fairly steady at around 13%. However, on a year-to-year basis, Motorola’s shipments plunged by 32.7%, making it the only company not to post an increase on an annual basis in the third quarter.
In the second quarter Motorola lost its longtime No. 2 ranking to Samsung. The company struggled to achieve an operating profit in the first and second quarters, says iSuppli. However, “with its new product line coming out during the holiday season, Motorola should be able to achieve continued growth in shipment volume during the fourth quarter,” Teng said.
LG was the clear leader in terms of volume-shipment percentage growth, with its sales rising by 14.7% sequentially, says the research firm.
However, all the growth was driven by emerging markets such as the Middle East, Latin America, India and China, as was reflected in its average selling price. Slow sales in North America and Europe resulted in LG’s mobile-handset ASP falling to $124, down 18.6% from the second quarter.
Despite a revenue decline of 7.9% (measured in won), LG still managed to maintain its operating profit at 8.4%.
Nokia’s global mobile-handset shipments rose by a stunning 10.9 million units compared to the second quarter, says iSuppli Corp. The sales leader increased its shipments to 111.7 million units, up 10.8% sequentially. This gave the company a global market share of 39.5%, up from 37.9% in the second quarter.
“The company’s shipments of ‘convergence’ mobile phones that integrate multimedia and smart-phone features grew by 53.8%” year-over-year, said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli.
The disappointment in Nokia’s third-quarter results came in its its performance in the Americas , where it a shipment decline of 12.7% in Latin America and 1.7% in North America vs. last year.
Worldwide mobile phone shipments amounted to 283 million units, up 6.4% sequentially and 15.4% compared to the third quarter in 2006, according to iSuppli.
High first-time sales of phones in emerging markets and high replacement rates in Europe were the major factor driving the growth.
The Top-5 mobile handset suppliers benefited from the healthy growth, with all of these companies increasing their shipments during the third quarter compared to the second.
Combined shipments for these companies rose 9.6% sequentially.
While Nokia’s unit shipment gain was impressive, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. of South Korea actually posted a slightly larger increase on a percentage basis, helping the company to maintain the second rank in the industry.
Samsung’s global mobile-handset shipments rose to 42.6 million units, up 13.9% sequentially. Compared to the same quarter last year, Samsung’s shipments rose by 38.8%, the highest rate of all the Top-5 mobile-handset makers.
This boosted Samsung’s market share to 15.1%, up from 14.1% in the second quarter, 2.2 points over No. 3 Motorola.
“Samsung’s strong performance was due to impressive increases in shipments in the European and Americas regions,” Teng said. “The company’s shipments in Europe and the Americas rose by 28.1% and 26.6% respectively in the third quarter. This more than offset the 6% sequential decline in shipments in Asia during the same period.”
Based on iSuppli’s preliminary estimate of Motorola’s share, the company shipped 36.5 million mobile handsets, up 2.8% sequentially. This lagged the handset market’s overall shipment growth rate of 6.4%, but kept Motorola’s market share fairly steady at around 13%. However, on a year-to-year basis, Motorola’s shipments plunged by 32.7%, making it the only company not to post an increase on an annual basis in the third quarter.
In the second quarter Motorola lost its longtime No. 2 ranking to Samsung. The company struggled to achieve an operating profit in the first and second quarters, says iSuppli. However, “with its new product line coming out during the holiday season, Motorola should be able to achieve continued growth in shipment volume during the fourth quarter,” Teng said.
LG was the clear leader in terms of volume-shipment percentage growth, with its sales rising by 14.7% sequentially, says the research firm.
However, all the growth was driven by emerging markets such as the Middle East, Latin America, India and China, as was reflected in its average selling price. Slow sales in North America and Europe resulted in LG’s mobile-handset ASP falling to $124, down 18.6% from the second quarter.
Despite a revenue decline of 7.9% (measured in won), LG still managed to maintain its operating profit at 8.4%.
SAN JOSE — Now that its merger with Solectron is complete, how many plants will Flextronics close, and where?
The world's second-largest EMS company could shutter as many as 43 plants, totaling some 8.3 million sq. ft., says one Wall Street analyst.
MANKATO, MN – EMS provider and ODM Winland Electronics has received purchase orders and extensions for the next year totaling approximately $11.6 million.
The orders include a $5.6 million order extension from one of the company's larger customers; a new medical product design project, and a commitment from another client for 12-months continuation of business valued at approximately $5 million.
SAN JOSE, CA – Three-month bookings at North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment in September fell about 10% sequentially and 25% year-over-year, according to SEMI.
WASHINGTON — The Semiconductor Industry Association and the Institute of Electrical Engineers-USA are urging swift congressional action to help skilled immigrants gain permanent U.S. residency status.
In a joint letter sent Oct. 11 to Senate and House leaders, the SIA and the IEEE-USA, often at odds on issues such as the H-1B visa program, together advised passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign-born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech sector.
The letter, signed by SIA president George Scalise and IEEE-USA president John Meredith, reads in part, "Both IEEE-USA and SIA see the retention of highly educated immigrants as part of a broader competitiveness and innovation initiative that includes a doubling of federal investment in research in the physical sciences, improvements in science, technology, engineering and math education at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, and enactment of a permanent and strengthened R&D tax credit."
The letter continues, “Currently 51% of master’s and 71% of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. The SIA and IEEE-USA agree that these highly-talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status … in an expedited manner.”
In a joint letter sent Oct. 11 to Senate and House leaders, the SIA and the IEEE-USA, often at odds on issues such as the H-1B visa program, together advised passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign-born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech sector.
The letter, signed by SIA president George Scalise and IEEE-USA president John Meredith, reads in part, "Both IEEE-USA and SIA see the retention of highly educated immigrants as part of a broader competitiveness and innovation initiative that includes a doubling of federal investment in research in the physical sciences, improvements in science, technology, engineering and math education at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, and enactment of a permanent and strengthened R&D tax credit."
The letter continues, “Currently 51% of master’s and 71% of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. The SIA and IEEE-USA agree that these highly-talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status … in an expedited manner.”
