Negative Semi News

iSuppli slashes its semi growth forecast - Global semiconductor revenue is expected to fall 2 percent in 2008, hit by the sweeping economic downturn; the prior outlook was for 3.5% growth. "As dramatic declines in consumer and industrial confidence began developing in late summer, order cancellations began to grow," said Dale Ford, iSuppli's senior vice president, adding: "Players across the supply chain moved to extremely cautious positions in the face of increasingly negative economic news." Reuters

Semi Equipment – US – bookings jump in the month of Oct according to data out Tues night; bookings surge 30% M/M and the B2B jumps from 0.7x to 0.93x. http://www.semi.org/en/Press/CTR_026852

Semi Equipment – Japan - Orders for Japanese equipment used to make semiconductors fell 68 percent in October from the same month last year and fell 45% M/M as chip makers slashed or froze spending – Reuters