NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Aug 6, 2012) - Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, a trade group that represents the manufacturing supply chain for the semiconductor industry, recently reported that they expect global spending on chip production equipment in 2012 to shrink by 2.6 percent to $42.4 billion. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Semiconductor Equipment & Materials Industry and provides equity research on KLA-Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ: [ KLAC ]) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE: [ TSM ]).

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The decline in 2012 follows a 9 percent market increase in 2011. Despite the decline, 2012 is projected to be the fourth highest in spending followed by 2007 ($42.8 billion), 2011 ($43.5 billion), and 2000 ($47.7 billion). North America in 2012 is projected to experience a 7.5 percent decline to a total of $8.56 billion when compared to 2011. In 2013 SEMI predicts North America will have the second highest total of $10.13 billion, a year-over-year increase of 18.3 percent. The group also predicts global spending to exceed $46 billion in 2013.

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KLA-Tencor Corporation, a leading provider of process control and yield management solutions, partners with customers around the world to develop state-of-the-art inspection and metrology technologies. The company's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per share on its common stock.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is the world's first dedicated semiconductor foundry. The company's total managed capacity reached 13.2 million eight-inch equivalent wafers in 2011. The company's 2011 total sales revenue reached a new high of US$14.5 billion.

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