The delivery times for semiconductors fell by a day in June, Bloomberg reported, a sign of modest relief after chronic shortages that have plagued automakers and other industries for over a year.
The report, citing research by Susquehanna Financial Group, said lead times, a closely watched gap between when a semiconductor is ordered and when it is delivered, averaged 27 weeks last month compared with 27.1 weeks in May. The wait was also 27 weeks in April.
“There are some signs of supply chain inflation easing and price increases slowing, but other pockets remain,” Susquehanna analyst Chris Rolland in a research note cited by Bloomberg, adding: “Among key companies we track, none posted record-high LTs, perhaps another sign of ‘peak cycle.’”
Manufacturers wait for chips lessens
Susquehanna reportedly said leading or predictive company-specific data showed contractions in lead times for the second consecutive month with some declines of as much as 45%. Some of the largest declines were for microcontroller units, or MCUs, as well as power management and memory chips.
Field-programmable gate arrays, or FPGA, lead times remain “maxed out at our 52-week cap and are likely the most constrained part in the ecosystem,” the Susquehanna report said. It added FPGA shortages affect networking, optical and telecommunications gear.
According to Bloomberg, Citibank analysts forecast this week semiconductor sales would rise 13% for 2022. But they cautioned about risks because of a downturn in personal computers and smartphones, along with their projection of a recession.