Chip equipment maker ASM International NV said customers were holding off orders and visibility into 2012 was low, echoing other technology firms in citing macroeconomic uncertainty and lacklustre demand for semiconductors.ASMI, which makes equipment used in the processing, assembly and packaging of semiconductors, said fourth-quarter sales and orders will fall, making it harder to give an outlook for 2012."Third-quarter revenues clearly reflect market uncertainty, which is driven by macroeconomic and political factors," Chief Executive Chuck del Prado told reporters on Friday.Del Prado does not expect customer "cautiousness" to improve in the fourth quarter but told reporters that fundamentals in the electronics industry, including technology to build smartphones, tablets and servers powering cloud computing, were strong in the medium and long term.
ASM International N.V. (ASMI), incorporated on March 4, 1968, is a semiconductor capital equipment supplier. Shares of ASMI remained unchanged at $30.47. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $22.04 and as high as $45.40. On average, 67688 shares of ASMI exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 0.
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