Semiconductor inventories still below average

Semiconductor vendors' chip inventory levels remain at low levels despite a small increase in the first quarter of the year, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp.

Global semiconductor inventory amounted to $25.73 billion in the first quarter, up 1 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2009 and up by a fraction of a percent compared with the first quarter of 2009, according to iSuppli (El Segundo, Calif.). Inventory in the second quarter is forecasted to rise 3.3 percent to $26.6 billion, continuing the slow upward movement that began at the start of this year, iSuppli said.