SAN JOSE – Worldwide semiconductor sales rose 3.3% sequentially to $14.7 billion in March, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported today.

First quarter sales were down 29.9% from last year to $44 billion. Sales were down 15.7% from the fourth quarter.

 

However, the March gain over February gave a glint of hope that the trough has been reached and a recovery is underway.

 

“The modest sequential rebound in worldwide sales in March suggests that demand has stabilized somewhat, albeit at substantially lower levels than last year,” said SIA president George Scalise. “While all major product sectors showed month-on-month growth, there continues to be limited visibility in end-markets. There are some bright spots such as smartphones and netbook PCs, but there are no clear signs of early firming of demand in other major end-markets such as automotive, corporate information technology, and consumer electronics.

 

“The global chip industry continues to reflect the influence of the worldwide economic slowdown,” Scalise said. “We expect economic stimulus measures in the U.S. combined with other countries will begin to impact sales as we enter 2010.”