NEW YORK -- The outcome of the "fiscal cliff" in the US coupled with its impact on business sentiment will be the single most important swing factor for the IT hardware  sector in 2013, a leading analyst says.

PHOENIX-- Avnet has agreed to acquire substantially all the operating assets of passive semiconductor distributor Universal Semiconductor for an undisclosed sum.

PHOENIX-- Avnet has agreed to acquire substantially all of the operating assets of passive semiconductor distributor Universal Semiconductor for an undisclosed sum.

SAN JOSE — Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment bookings plummeted 12% year-over-year in the third quarter, according to the SEMI trade group. Bookings were down 31% from the second quarter to $6.71 billion.