Worldwide semiconductor sales rose 4.2% in Feb. to $20.09 bil, but were down from Jan.'s $21.48 bil mark, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. The SIA's president said that a lower average-selling price and fewer unit shipments were key factors in the slip. The growth was the smallest year-over-year increase since Aug. '05, when it grew 1.7%. UBS said the sales numbers were weaker than expected, but predicted they would rebound for the rest of the year.
Maybe it's the old "I came of age during a tech rally", but I still keep expecting the semiconductor and technology shares overall to break-out in this rally. However, the 5-year charts are less than inspiring. Both the semis and tech shares have been range bound.
Here's the ETF for the SMH (semis) and tech shares, respectively.
