CHICAGO -- Methode Electronics reported third-quarter net sales fell 41.7% to $80.8 million from a year ago. Net income plunged $36.8 million to a loss of $27 million. The company took charges of $32.7 million for goodwill and intangible assets, and restructuring charges of $3.8 million, during the period.

The results were also hampered by timing: there was one less week in the company's fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31 vs. a year ago.

NEW TRIPOLI, PA – Chip purchases are sending the market toward a fast recovery in 2010, says The Information Network, according to published reports.

Leading firms have raised capex plans for this year, which can be a significant leading indicator of improvement, says the research firm.

Another sign for improving conditions is how much chipmakers are willing to spend on advanced equipment to create new products.

“We nevertheless are cautious about 2010, because all we see going forward are technology purchases rather than capacity purchases," said Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network. "Utilization is increasing, but with 31 fab closures in 2009, this is analogous to increased productivity due to layoffs.”

 

BANNOCKBURN, IL – An IPC task group is organizing a standard covering intellectual property protection.
 
The trade group seeks PWB manufacturers, EMS providers and OEMs to develop the document. The first meeting takes place Oct. 23 in Scottsdale, AZ.
 
Similarly, the US Congress has directed the Department of Defense to develop a trusted source program for PCB manufacturers supplying the DoD, the association says.
 
The new standard is expected to educate members and elevate best practices in IP protection. The trade group hopes to develop a common standard to which companies can certify will save the industry money.