SAN JOSE — North America-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers reported the 90-day moving average orders rose 12.9% over 2015 in June.

The sector posted $1.71 billion in orders worldwide in June, the trade group SEMI said, down 2.1% sequentially but still up definitively from a year ago.

BAWAL, HARYANA, INDIA -- Karbonn Mobiles has opened a handset manufacturing facility here, its third in India, and plans to hire up to 4,000 new workers.

CHANDLER, AZ – Ace Production Technologies and Phase 4 will host a selective soldering workshop here Aug. 10.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide smartwatch market fell 32% year-over-year in the second quarter, the first time the segment has declined.

HONG KONG -- Shanghai Samsung Semiconductor has taken a 2% stake in BYD Electronic, the contract assembly arm of BYD.

TORONTO – Celestica reported second quarter revenue ended June 30 of $1.49 billion, up 4.8% year-over-year and 10% sequentially.

SAN JOSE, CA – Flex reported fiscal first quarter 2017 net sales ended July 1 of approximately $5.9 billion, up 5.6% year-over-year, at the high end of guidance.

STAMFORD, CT – Gartner this week raised its worldwide semiconductor capital spending projection for 2016, but warned of possible lower production longer-term.
 
The research firm now expects spending to decline 0.7% in 2016 to $64.3 billion. That's up from the estimated 2% decline in Gartner's previous quarterly forecast.

ANGLETON, TX -- Benchmark Electronics today announced second quarter net income fell 38% on a 13% drop in sales.

CONKLIN, NY – Universal Instruments appointed Jeff Knight as general manager of the Advanced Process Lab (APL) and Advanced Technology Assembly Services (ATAS).

NEENAH, WI – Plexus reported fiscal third quarter revenue ended July 2 of $667.6 million, down 0.3% year-over-year and up 7.9% sequentially.

OOSTERHOUT, THE NETHERLANDS – Vitronics Soltec shipped its last mySelective 6748 soldering machine.