The December survey of the Electronic Component Sales Trends (ECST) survey from the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) found that electronic components moderated somewhat from November with a score of 98.4 points. A score of over 100 represents market growth.
The better news is that the outlook for January 2025 is expected to reach an overall score of 115.2 points, a whopping 16.8-point leap from December. This is consistent with the November ECST survey that showed optimism for the first quarter of the year.
ECIA said the historical pattern typically shows a significant jump in January following a slow December. Over the last five years this pattern has happened, although it is never guaranteed.
Of the January outlook, the electromechanical/connector segment is expected to reach a score of 125.7 points while the semiconductor segment is forecasted to earn a score of 110.3 points. Meanwhile, the passive components segment is expected to build on its December growth with an improvement to 109.6 points for January.
Opposites
Further, distributors and manufacturer representatives are at odds over their respective forecasts as distributors are optimistic about Q1 while manufacturer representatives are pessimistic. Manufacturers are more aligned with the overall average results in the survey.
In the end market, the January outlook is forecasted to reach 125.0 points, led by avionics/military/space and industrial electronics with scores of 145.8 and 135.6 points, respectively. Only consumer electronics will fall short in January with 97.8 points.
About the ECIA ECST report
The ECST survey provides highly valuable and detailed visibility on industry expectations in the near-term through the monthly and quarterly surveys. This “immediate” perspective is helpful to participants up and down the electronics components supply chain. In the long-term, ECIA shares in the optimism for the future as the continued introduction and market adoption of exciting innovative technologies should motivate both corporate and consumer demand for next-generation products over the long term.
The complete ECIA ECST report is delivered to all ECIA members as well as others who participate in the survey. All participants in the electronics component supply chain are invited and encouraged to participate in the report so they can see the highly valuable insights provided by the ECST report.
The monthly and quarterly ECST reports present data in detailed tables and figures with multiple perspectives and covering current sales expectations, sales outlook, product cancellations, product decommits and product lead times. The data is presented at a detailed level for six major electronic component categories, six semiconductor subcategories and eight end markets. Also, survey results are segmented by aggregated responses from manufacturers, distributors and manufacturer representatives.
Interested in reading the entire ECST report? Click here for more information.
