National Semiconductor Corp.: The computer chip maker...

National Semiconductor Corp.: The computer chip maker said it lost $10.2 million in its third quarter, compared to a $44.6-million loss in the same period a year earlier. Sales rose 6.6% to $404.3 million. The Santa Clara, Calif., firm said the third quarter “is historically a challenging one for us, incorporating a seasonal slowdown in sales, along with the annual holiday shutdown of our production facilities.” The results were helped by the reversal of $4.6 million in one-time costs originally set aside to pay for the closing of a Danbury, Conn., plant. The firm also had $6.7 million in non-recurring credits.