National Semiconductor Expects Lower Sales

Computer chip maker National Semiconductor Corp. said it expects to post losses and lower sales for its current quarter and the following quarter. The Santa Clara-based company said net sales and earnings per share for the two periods will be lower than the previous quarter--the fourth quarter of its fiscal year--when it posted a loss, excluding one-time items, of 42 cents a share on sales of $510 million. National Semiconductor said that although new order rates for the current quarter indicate an improvement over the fourth quarter, shipments have been hurt by weakness in overall semiconductor demand, including that for the personal computer market. Including one-time items, National Semiconductor lost $212 million, or $1.29 a share, in its fourth quarter. The company issued the warning after trading ended. Its shares closed at $13.63, down 56 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange.