El Segundo (CA) - In the first indications that the weight of the world may indeed by shifting hemispheres after all, technology analysts at iSuppli reported today that the surge in DRAM sales at Germany-based Infineon Technologies AG helped it to leap two spots on the firm's global DRAM rankings list, knocking down Korea-based Hynix Semiconductor and US-based Micron Technologies.

Samsung retains the top spot on the list, but its market share has slipped a bit, from 29.4% in the fourth quarter of 2005 (revised), to 26.6% in the first quarter of 2006. Meanwhile, Infineon's gains stand out as almost an anomaly, with revenues from sales rising an unprecedented 49% over the previous quarter, from $778 million in Q4 2005, to $1.16 billion in Q1 2006. Market share for Infineon rose 4.9%, with bites taken out of Hynix, Micron, and #5 Elpida as well.

What could be even more amazing is the fact that Infineon's gains, confirmed in its quarterly report published yesterday, come after four straight quarters of net losses. Fiscal second quarter revenues rose to €1.99 billion, up 19% over the prior quarter, on sales gains that the company stated are largely credited...to rising orders from automobile manufacturers.