European chip sales kept a 43% Y-o-Y growth in April 2010

Nevertheless, overall growth stayed positive and even achieved a record high of 42.9% compared to the same month in 2009. Since all data are taken on a three month rolling average basis, seasonal effects between March and April should be smoothened out. Positive, but close to cut in half growth rates were registered across the regions, with an exception of the Chinese market, covering nearly 40% of sales in Asia and 20% of the worldwide market. Beside sensors -weaker this month- most product categories took along their positive trend from March to April, with discrete, optoelectronics and total analog driving the market and DRAM showing a rather positive development compared to the previous month. Overall, European semiconductor sales in April 2010 amounted to USD 3.100 billion. On a YTD basis semiconductor sales increased by an also very remarkable 42.5% in 2010 versus the same period in the year 2009. The exchange rate imbalance of the Euro compared to the US dollar has changed little its impact on the European sales picture in the last month. Measured in Euro, semiconductor sales were EUR 2.285 billion in April 2010, up 2.4% on the previous month and up 37.1% versus the same month a year ago. On a YTD basis semiconductor sales increased by 35.9% in 2010 versus the same period in the year 2009. On a worldwide basis, semiconductor sales in April 2010 were USD 23.579 billion, up 2.2% versus the previous month. This results in an increase of 50.4% versus the same month in 2009 and on a YTD basis it results in an increase of 54.2%.