Broadcom CEO Says Demand Is ‘Real’ as Chip Orders Flood In
Bloomberg
3/5/2021
Ian King
(Bloomberg) -- Broadcom Inc. Chief Executive Officer Hock Tan said customers are beefing up semiconductor orders at an unprecedented pace and tried to quell concern that this will create a glut later on.
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“We see customers accelerating the bookings for early deliveries and attempting to build buffers and creating the demand-supply imbalance you all hear out there,” Tan told analysts during an earnings conference call on Thursday.
About 90% of Broadcom’s 2021 supply has already been ordered by customers. Normally, chipmakers have about a quarter of their supply locked up like this. Since the middle of 2020, the company has reviewed its order backlog to make sure it aligns with the actual consumption of end products such as smartphones and networking gear. While some industries have complained of a chip shortage, Tan said Broadcom has enough production from its outsourced providers to meet the needs of its customers having anticipated order levels.