LONDON -- Alent reported first-quarter sales fell 5.8% as demand fell for solder materials, offset in part by higher demand for chemistry fo relectroplating and final finishes.

Alent, the former Cookson Electronics Materials, said that while demand for smartphones and PCs slowed sales, electronics end-markets appear to be returning to a normal. The firm added that wafer starts are increasing, which bodes well for "modest" recovery in printed circuit board fabrication and assembly in subsequent quarters.

Overall sales fell to £101.8 million from £108.1 million a year ago.

Alpha, the company's Assembly Materials unit, saw an expected seasonal decline in demand in the smartphone and PC end-markets. Enthone, the Surface Chemistries business segment, is seeing demand pick up for fabrication chemistries and is in early stages of the ramp in products feeding the semiconductor fabrication end-markets.

Alent said its forecast for 2013 remains unchanged. "While some of our electronics markets have had a relatively slow start to the year, there is no change in our outlook for the remainder of 2013 from that stated in our March 28 full-year results announcement. While we expect our first half performance to be flat or slightly below the first half 2012, we continue to expect a resumption of growth in the second half."

• Prev
• Next