TECHNOLOGY - April 25, 1996
Times Staff and Wire Reports
Dataquest Sharply Lowers Chip Growth Forecast: The market researcher cut its 1996 growth forecast for the semiconductor industry to 7.6% from 22%. In making the change, Dataquest Inc. cited excess inventories, a sharp fall in prices for memory chips and the dollar’s resurgence against the yen. Dataquest’s new view is one of the most conservative in the industry; many manufacturers are saying they expect revenue growth of 10% to 20% this year. Semiconductor makers’ revenue climbed nearly 40% in 1995, becoming a $150-billion industry worldwide. That far exceeded estimates for the year, as demand accelerated for personal computers and memory chip prices remained stable for an unusually long time.
