The analog semiconductor market will post steady through 2013-2017. Buyers can expect short lead times and falling prices for analog semiconductors through 2014.

The analog IC market will grow just 1% in 2013 to $42 billion and then rise 3% to $43.2 billion in 2014. The average price of an analog chip will fall 11% and will decline another 3% in 2013.

One reason average prices are falling is that the two largest analog IC manufacturers—Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics—have been moving more analog products to 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. Production on larger wafers means that suppliers get more chips per wafer, so cost is reduced.

TI’s overall analog IC revenue grew 11% in the third quarter, and much of that growth was due to strong demand for power management ICs.

Automotive and industrial segments are traditionally strong segments .The percentage of analog products sold into the automotive market grew from 15.7% in 2010 , 17.6% in 2011 and 21.3% in 2012.

2, Ceramic capacitor prices stable

Lead times to settle in six- to 10-week range for most parts.

Price pressure of MLCC from buyers continues. Most buyers can expect stable to decreasing tags for commodity parts in Q4 2013. Lead times also won’t be a problem, settling in the six- to 10-week range for most parts.

The passives industry has become more and more taken for granted in terms of its quality to the circuit, so there is a tendency for buyers to push suppliers for cheaper prices, One way to achieve the cheaper prices is to downgrade the spec or quality expectations. A lot of people are opting to go to commercial-grade parts where there are a lot more players, particularly Asian chip capacitor makers that can offer a lower price.

Despite the lower expected tags for MLCCs, capacitor manufacturers expect good growth rates in 2013. Many continue to see strong demand for MLCCs, forecasting up to 10% growth in revenue. Unit growth is pegged significantly higher at 20%.

3, Consumer Medical Devices Set for Stable Market Growth

The world market for consumer medical devices will enjoy steady growth in the years ahead as aging populations climb.

Global revenue for consumer medical devices is set to reach $8.2 billion by year-end, up a solid 4 percent from $7.9 billion in 2012. The majority of revenue will stem from hearing aids because of their higher average selling prices, but diagnostic devices like blood glucose meters and blood pressure monitors will also play a part.

One important reason for the consistent rise in revenue over the years of consumer medical devices is that the number of those aged 65 and above worldwide will continue to grow over time, making up an increasingly population. The phenomenon, while evident in all regions, will be particularly manifest in Europe and Asia.

Personal care devices such as activity monitors, body composition analyzers and heart-rate monitors are among the fastest-growing consumer medical devices today, with the rising number of fitness-conscious consumers.

4, PC Market Still Struggling; Numbers are Down in Q2

The PC market continued to muddle through as shipments declined once more in Q2 2013.

Total PC shipments reached 74.4 million units during the April to June, down a steep 13 percent from the same time a year ago .

The PCs covered by the count include desktops, laptops and entry-level servers. Mobile PCs continued to make up the largest part of total shipments, equivalent to 61 percent. Meanwhile, desktops accounted for 36 percent while entry-level servers took up the remaining 3 percent.

PCs sales have been discouraging and consumers have defected in droves to smartphones and tablets instead—devices considered as more portable and appealing.

Hewlett-Packard in Q2 continued to be the top PC maker in shipments with 17 percent of the market, or 12.7 million units. HP was aided to a large extent by its strength in the entry-level server space.

Lenovo was close behind with 12.5 million units, and its dominance in China as well as growing popularity in other regions helped it cut into HP’s share. At No. 3 was Dell with 9.5 million units or about 12 percent market share, followed by Acer and Asustek.