Business news for Mon, 24 Dec 2007 & with words economic+forecast. 2 news.

Big 3 in better shape to weather slump The auto industry is buckling up for what could be the roughest road it has traveled in a decade, though forecasters see economic conditions, and thus vehicle sales, becoming smoother by the end of the 2008.

Market-research firm iSuppli said it cut its 2008 revenue growth forecast for the global semiconductor industry to 7.5% from 9.3%, on rising energy costs and expectations of a U.S. economic slowdown.