SAN JOSE – The 90-day moving average sales of semiconductors rose to $15.6 billion worldwide in April, down 25% year-over-year but up 6.4% sequentially.

 

The results were better than expected, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported today, citing moderate improvements in a number of end-markets, including PCs, and inventory replenishment.

 

It marks the second straight month of sequential sales growth.

 

In a statement, SIA president George Scalise said, “The PC market has been stronger than predicted earlier in the year. Consensus forecasts currently project that PC unit sales in 2009 will decline by about 6% compared to earlier forecasts of a decline in the range of 12%. Analysts are also more optimistic about cellphone unit sales, which are now projected to decline by around 7% compared to earlier forecasts of 15%."

 

PCs and cellphones account for nearly 60% of all semiconductor consumption, he said.

 

The worldwide automotive market, which accounts for about 7% of total semiconductor sales, remains weak. Corporate IT spending has also lagged normal patterns as companies have lengthened replacement cycles. The consumer electronics sector presents a mixed picture: analysts project increased unit sales of digital televisions and hand-held game players and lower unit sales of most other consumer electronics products.

 

“Visibility remains limited,” Scalise said. “Two consecutive months of sequential sales growth may be an indication of a return to more normal seasonal sales patterns in some market sectors, albeit at lower sales levels than last year."