Semiconductor capital spending will fall 5.5%

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment spending would post a 5.5 per cent decline to total $35.8 billion in 2013, compared with $37.8 billion spent a year ago. The capital spending will fall 3.5 per cent in 2013, as major producers remain cautious in the face of market weakness, according to a study by research and analyst firm Gartner. “Weak semiconductor market conditions, which continued into the first quarter of 2013, generated downward pressure on new equipment purchases,” said Bob Johnson, research vice-president at Gartner.