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MAJORCA, SPAIN – Sales of consumer electronics at retail stores will rise 8% this year, down from 14% in each of the past two years, says a leading analyst.

Jürgen Boyny, a consumer electronics analyst for market research institute GfK, said mobile phones will make up about 25% of consumer electronics sales this year, he said, followed by flat-panel TVs (19%), PCs (17%) and digital cameras (6%).

GREENVILLE, SC – Component maker Kemet Corp. reported its executive vice president and chief financial officer David Gable is resigning.

Gable leaves the company to pursue other avenues, Kemet said.

The company announced a restructuring plan in January that will dissolve 120 jobs in the U.S. and 250 jobs in Mexico, with some work moving to China. The company said the job cuts would save about $16 million annually, with a one-time cost of about $7 million.

Gable will remain with the company during the search for a successor.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – The DRAM market finally is showing some signs of improvement, prompting iSuppli Corp. to upgrade its rating of near-term conditions for suppliers.

iSuppli is raising its DRAM rating to ‘neutral,’ up from its ‘negative’ assessment issued in November.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – March PCB shipments among North American fabricators rose 9.5% year-over-year, while bookings jumped 11.2%. Rigid shipments were up 9.5%, and flex shipments were up 9.7%, said IPC.

BREDA, HOLLAND – Cobar Europe BV, member of the Balver Zinn Group and supplier of solder pastes, fluxes, and other electronics soldering materials, has acquired a global license to distribute solder pastes and wire using the SN100C alloy developed by Nihon Superior Co. Ltd.

The license permits Cobar Europe and Cobar Solder Products to sell SN100C solder paste and wire in specific territories allocated by Nihon Superior.

No financial terms were disclosed.

SN100C is a patented nickel stabilized tin/copper alloy that is based on the eutectic 99.3% tin 0.7% copper with a trace amount of nickel.

ANGLETON, TX – Contract manufacturer Benchmark Electronics Inc. reported first-quarter net income of $22.6 million, down about 8% year-over-year.

NEENAH, WI – EMS provider Plexus Corp. reported second-quarter revenue of $451 million, up 20% year-over-year.

SAN JOSE, CA – EMS provider Sanmina-Sci Corp. reported its second-quarter loss narrowed to $24.4 million, from $26.1 million in the same period last year.

Adjusted net income was $28.2 million.

Revenue was $1.82 billion, up a slight 1.6% year-over-year, the company said.

PHOENIX – Electronics distributor Avnet Inc. reported revenue for the fiscal third quarter was $4.42 billion, up 13.3% compared to the same period last year.

Net income was $107.2 million, up 1.9% year-over-year.

LOUISVILLE, KY – Manufacturer and outsourcing specialist Sypris Solutions Inc. reported revenue of $106.3 million for the first quarter, down about 4.6% year-over-year.

The company reported net income of $400,000, compared to a net loss of $200,000 in the prior year period.

“Revenue was at the high end of our expectations due to stronger than anticipated sales from our industrial group. Top line performance for our electronics group bettered last year’s quarter by 13% on improved revenue from our products and manufacturing services,” said Jeffrey T. Gill, president and CEO of Sypris.

“Orders for our electronics group increased 7% compared to the prior year period, driven by a 13% year-over-year increase in bookings in our aerospace and defense segment.”

Revenue for the company’s electronics group was $36.4 million.

ANAHEIM, CA – DDi Corp., provider of PCB manufacturing services, reported first-quarter net sales of $47.4 million, up 9% year-over-year, and up 5% sequentially.

The company reported net income of $718,000 compared to a net loss of $1 million in the same period last year, and a sequential improvement compared to a net loss of $285,000 in the fourth quarter 2007.

TORONTO – EMS provider Celestica Inc. announced net earnings for the first quarter 2008 were $29.8 million, compared to a net loss of $34.3 million for the same period last year.

Revenue was $1.84 billion, down a slight 0.33% year-over-year.

Adjusted net earnings were $35.4 million, compared to an adjusted net loss of $9.1 million year-over-year.

Restructuring charges in the quarter were $3.3 million compared to $8 million in the first quarter of 2007.

For the second quarter, ending June 30, the company anticipates revenue to be in the range of $1.8 billion to $2 billion.