EL SEGUNDO, CA – Despite rising 3.4% and hitting an 11-year high in the fourth quarter of 2012, average semiconductor days of inventory held by chip suppliers are expected to decline 0.5% in the first quarter, providing some hope that market conditions are improving, says IHS iSuppli.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – While the first half of 2012 is expected to see only modest shipment growth, the launch of Windows 8 and the excitement generated by ultrabooks and other ultra-thin notebooks should drive second half sales in a much stronger way, according to International Data Corp.