Though traditionally the sector has been dominated by multinationals not represented on the Singapore bourse, more recently many local component and peripheral suppliers, as well as a couple of PC makers, have listed on the exchange. But the toll is particularly hard on Singapore's home-grown technology companies, IPC, Creative Technology and Aztech Systems, which had been the darlings of investors and symbols of local entrepreneurial spirit. Market sentiment somehow has gone from bad to worse.
Analysts are particularly critical of the lack of new products in Singapore pipelines.
Creative and Aztech have thrown a lot of money at a lot of new products and startups, but they haven't been very successful. Nor have their stocks. That means better times for the components and peripheral makers three months after that. Mak expects recovery to start in the fourth quarter as Microsoft intrdoduces new Windows NT software, giving a boost to global personal computer demand. The first to benefit will be the subcontractors, like the makers of disk drives and circuit boards.