Vandaag e-mail van asmi ontvangen; The market for semiconductor equipment is driven by the demand for semiconductors, which is determined by the demand for a broad range of electronic products. Some of these products see seasonal variations and some are dependent on macro-economic factors. At the moment, important end products (pc's, mobile phones) see a slow down in sales compared to earlier aggressive sales forecasts. In other segments (internet commerce) the earlier promises are not delivered and investor sentiment is (very) negative. However, the overall sales of semiconductors are still growing and so is the need for semiconductor equipment, be it with a cyclical pattern. The macro-economic environment is less bullish at the moment and capital expenditure indications are pointing to a digestment period. This is also true for semiconductor equipment. Nevertheless, the generation change that is being prepared (from 200mm to 300mm) places some companies (including ASM International) in an excellent position to gain market share. ASM International has been doing that during the last three years and is well placed to continue to do so in 2001 (year 4). So far, the demand for 300mm equipment has been accelerating. Thank you for your interest in ASM International, Sincerely, ASM INTERNATIONAL Investor Relations