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NEW YORK -- Is the semiconductor industry about to turn up? One Wall Street analyst thinks so.

Wachovia analyst David Wong has upgraded the semiconductor sector to overweight from market weight, saying a recovery could come in the next quarter.

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) this year will oversee distribution of Apple products in mainland China, according to various media reports, including China's Commercial Times.

Quoting an unnamed Taiwanese media sources, the reports claim Hon Hai plans to increase IT product sales channels in China using its consumer electronics division and mainland subsidiary channel distributor Cyber Mart.

One report went so far as to claim that Hon Hai seeks to become the largest channel distributor of consumer electronics for mainland China.

CONCORD, NH -- A state committee will soon contemplate a bill banning the disposal of electronics waste into landfills.

SAN JOSE -- Global semiconductor sales fell almost 10% year-over-year in November to $20.8 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association said today.

BANNOCKBURN, IL -- The 90-day moving average of November shipments of bare PWBs fell 7% year-over-year and orders slumped 18.8%, according to the latest survey of the nation's board fabricators.

For the month, rigid shipments dropped 5.8% and bookings fell 17.3%, while flex circuit shipments dropped 22.6% and bookings plunged 36.8%, IPC said.

SAN JOSE – North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $805.4 million in orders in November, down 29% year-over-year, and down about 4% sequentially, says SEMI.

The three-month average of worldwide billings was $807.3 million, down 42% year-over-year and 7% sequentially.

The book-to-bill ratio was 1.0, meaning $100 worth of orders was received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

“The book-to-bill ratio reached parity, as billings have declined sharper than bookings over the past six months,” said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. “2008 is closing with expected declines on the year, which have been further exacerbated by the deepening seismic global economic situation over the past quarter.”