NEW YORK -- End-markets for electronics products continue to grow at a modest pace, boosting semiconductor sales, a leading market watcher said today.

"We believe that end-markets grew at a modest pace in Q4. Handsets, mobile PCs, and consumer electronics were strong, but our checks in Taiwan did uncover a modest inventory build in PC components," Jack Romaine, an analyst with SG Cowan, wrote in a note issued today.
Romaine said supply constraints in assembly and test are likely to have caused an inventory build in the last quarter. Any problem is likely confined to PCs, however, he wrote.

"Our quarterly inventory study suggested a modest increase in balances, while our checks in Asia suggested less of a problem outside of the PC end market."