Asian semiconductors to feel impact of slowdown

The prospects for the Asian semiconductor industry remain bleak for the coming two quarters as the US slowdown bites, consensus suggests. Following a year of strong growth in semiconductors, the industry has been hit hard by faltering demand in the face of weakness across the technology and telecoms sectors. Nick Irish, investment manager at Schroders, says: "Last year was a fantastic year for the semiconductor industry in general. The industry grew by about 30% year on year, following a bit of a correction in the preceding two years. "This peaked at 50% growth year on year in August, bu...