Investopedia: A Look Back At The Year In Semiconductors

In what has been a fairly good year for stocks, a few industries stand out as laggards. Although technology has had a decent 2012, semiconductors are a notable exception, as the industry is only up about 3 to 6% for the year (depending upon the data provider). A number of factors have played in this weak performance. One of the biggest culprits, though, has been weak demand for computers and consumer electronics. Flagging or stagnant demand for telecom equipment has also played a major role, as have slowdowns in the automobile and industrial end-markets. Of course, the semiconductor industry in not a uniform bloc, and there are many stories worth further exploration.

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