1.   And semiconductor equipment maker Silicon Valley Group also pointed to the Far East, announcing that delayed Asian orders could prompt a fiscal second-quarter profit slide.

2.   Dealers and marketers have been watching profits slide in recent months due to rising crude oil prices and the higher costs of clean-air gas recipes.

3.   National Semiconductor and other players have watched profits slide and stock values flounder under a slowing personal computer market.

4.   Other analysts are less enthusiastic, saying the profit slide may be a sign of things to come.

5.   Still, the profit slide was better than some recent forecasts.

6.   When demand slows, manufacturers are left with excess capacity, and profits slide, Antos said.

7.   Others such as British Airways and Lufthansa have seen profits slide.