Chip lead times begin to slow, suggesting shortages have peaked

Delivery times for chips in October posted their smallest gain in about nine months, signaling that the shortages that have punished a broad swath of industries may finally be easing.

The lead times — a closely watched gap between when a semiconductor is ordered and when it’s delivered — increased by one day to about 21.9 weeks this month compared with September, according to research by Susquehanna Financial Group. That lag, while the longest wait time since the firm began tracking the data in 2017, contracted significantly for some types of semiconductors.