WASHINGTON, DC -- In sharp contrast to the near-collective consecutive quarterly revenue declines reported by US defense contractors in the first quarter of 2012, most companies exhibited quarterly revenue growth for the second quarter. This is despite the ongoing challenges of declining defense budgets as well as the unresolved issue of sequestration in the US.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- On a worldwide basis Apple and other multinational OEMs may be the leading semiconductor purchasers in 2012, but within the all-important Asia-Pacific region it is the locally based companies that are No. 1 when it comes to chip spending growth.

ARLINGTON, VA -- The June order index compiled by the Electronic Components Industry Association moved downward as the uncertainty in world markets continued.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Apple remains the king of all media tablets, with its global market share rising to nearly 70% in the second quarter, putting the company on pace to reclaim much of the dominance it surrendered in 2011.