The January Electronic Component Sales Trends (ECST) survey from the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) is now available.
The survey found that the overall index hit 138.0 in January and is projected to reach 143.4 in February. The only time the survey delivered stronger results was between March through May in 2021 when results hit above 110 points.
A score of above 100 represents growth in the ECIA report.
Leading the way
Semiconductors led among the three major segments with a score of 140.0 points. It was a surge of 16.7 points over the prior month. Passive components nearly matched the semiconductor score with an average 139.6.
The electromechanical/connectors category achieved an improvement as well to 134.5. This category is expected to sustain a strong sales sentiment heading into February while semiconductors are projected to deliver strong sales strength all the way to 154.5.
The strongest semiconductor segment was memory ICs with a record breaking 180 for January and will sustain the score in February. The weakest semiconductor segments are MCU/MPU and analog/linear ICs, however, both segments delivered strong results of 120 and 140, respectively.
End-market strength
The score for end-markets in January was 135.1 and is expected to remain constant in February, according to the ECIA.
Every end-market delivered 100+ scores in January and the outlook for February will continue to be strong especially in the avionics/military/space and industrial segments.
Lead times rise
Lead time pressure continues to rise based on the ECIA survey.
More than half of the participants found increasing lead times for semiconductors with only 8% seeing decreasing lead times.
DRAM and NAND Flash are experiencing the greatest pressure, 75% and 67%, respectively, with lead times increasing.
ECIA said there is a severe mismatch between supply and demand for advanced memory ICs, which is one of the greatest concerns for overall health of electronic components. Limited supplies could result in stalled sales in other segments.
The rising lead times is one of the most critical areas of supply chain management heading into 2026.
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 components 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 outlooks, 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.
