AMD Says Flash Sales May Fall 30% Worldwide

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said worldwide sales of flash-memory chips used in cell phones and electronic organizers may fall as much as 30% this year, a bigger drop than industry researchers expect.

Flash sales will fall 25% to 30% industrywide in 2001, Advanced Micro Vice President Ben Anixter said. The Semiconductor Industry Assn. last month predicted a 3% decline.

Advanced Micro, best known as Intel Corp.’s biggest rival in the computer-processor market, also is the second-largest maker of flash behind Intel. Demand for flash, which is used to store data when electronic devices are shut off, skyrocketed last year as consumers snapped up cell phones and hand-held organizers. Sales are languishing this year as manufacturers work off chip inventory that piled up when demand slowed.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Advanced Micro shares fell 8 cents to $16.30. They’ve lost more than half their value in the last year.