Texas Instruments has the biggest customer list and widest product range in the semiconductor industry, making its earnings an indicator of demand across the economy. In Wednesday’s report, which also included fourth-quarter results, Texas Instruments posted its fifth consecutive period of year-over-year revenue declines. Texas Instruments’ key industrial and automotive markets are close to returning to growth, he said. Three months ago, Texas Instruments said that the US trade dispute with China, the world’s largest market for semiconductors, was adding to customer caution. On Wednesday, Texas Instruments reported fourth-quarter net income fell to US$1.07 billion, or US$1.12 per share, from US$1.24 billion, or US$1.27, in the same period a year earlier.
