Recent years have been bleak for the semiconductor sector, but January sales indicate the industry's fortunes are beginning to take a turn for the better.

According to figures collected by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, bookings and sales rose to $958 million in January, representing a 99 percent increase from $481 million in September 1998. Advanced Forecasting Inc. in Cupertino, Calif., reported that this represents a recapture of 43 percent of the $1.1 billion decline that took place between November 1997 and September 1998.