Applied Materials Inc., the biggest maker of chip manufacturing equipment, gave a better-than-feared sales forecast for the current quarter as supply chain improvements help offset an economic slowdown.

Chip delivery times shrank by six days in October, the biggest drop since 2016, adding evidence that demand for electronic components is falling off quickly.

Texas Instruments Inc., whose chips go into everything from home appliances to missiles, gave a weak sales forecast for the current quarter, indicating that the falloff in semiconductor demand is spreading beyond computing and phones.

The Biden administration announced new restrictions on China’s access to U.S. semiconductor technology, escalating tensions between the two countries and adding fresh complications to an industry reeling from a slump in demand.

Chip delivery times shrank again in August, a sign the global shortage is easing further, but some types of semiconductors remain hard to find.

The wait times for semiconductor deliveries rose slightly in March, reaching a new high, after lockdowns in China and an earthquake in Japan further hampered supply.

Intel Corp. plans to list shares of its Mobileye self-driving car business by the middle of next year, letting the chipmaker capitalize on its investment in a burgeoning industry.

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.

Intel Corp. CEO Pat Gelsinger predicted the shortage of semiconductors that’s hurting industries from automotive to consumer electronics will bottom out in the second half of this year before starting to improve.

Renesas Electronics Corp., one of the biggest makers of automotive chips, said a fire halted production at one of its Japanese plants. The incident may exacerbate a shortage of semiconductors that has already curbed vehicle output across the industry.