Market Currents

Market Currents


How Long Will the Chips Be Down? The Global Semiconductor Chip Shortage with Deborah Koch

June 16, 2021

As the U.S. economy continues to reopen amid relaxed COVID-19 mitigation measures, pent-up demand is outstripping supply in many cases. One acute example is in the semiconductor chip industry, which provides “the brain” inside a wide range of products that power our modern lives, including smartphones, cars and even washing machines. 


In this episode, Northern Trust’s Katie Nixon is joined by Senior Technology Analyst Deborah Koch to sort through this important topic and answer some key questions: How long will the global chip shortage last? What consequences could it have on inflation and the economy? What regulatory response will ensue? 


Deborah discusses:


  • An overview of the semiconductor industry and its role in the technology ecosystem 
  • An estimate of how long it will take to fix the supply-demand mismatch
  • Corporate and government responses to the strategic issues laid bare by the shortage 
  • The long-term outlook for the chip industry as companies pursue digital transformations
  • And more

About Guest:


Deborah Koch is a senior equity research analyst at Northern Trust focused on the technology sector. With more than 30 years of experience, she has built a track record of leveraging forward-thinking vision to identify and help clients benefit from market shifts in the technology sector. Before joining Northern Trust, Deborah held several senior analyst and portfolio management roles at well-known asset managers. She is a CFA® charterholder.