N.A. Equipment Book-to-Bill up for 9 Straight Months
Staff -- Semiconductor International, 2/1/1998
| Industry News |
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The North American semiconductor equipment industry posted a book-to-bill ratio of 0.99 for November, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI, Mountain View, Calif.).
This is the ninth straight month orders and shipments have advanced. A book-to-bill of 0.99 means $99 in orders were received for each $100 worth of products shipped.
Table 1. North American Shipments, Bookings, and Book-to-Bill Ratio
| Month | Shipments | Bookings | Book-to-Bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | 1374.6 | 1474.3 | 1.07 |
| July | 1475.8 | 1658.7 | 1.12 |
| August | 1535.7 | 1688.1 | 1.10 |
| September | 1672.1 | 1773.8 | 1.06 |
| October | 1757.6 | 1797.4 | 1.02 |
| November | 1913.7 | 1886.5 | 0.99 |
Three-month average shipments increased in November (prelim.) to $1.9 billion. The figure is 9% above the October level (revised) and 80% above November 1996. Three-month average bookings increased in November 1997 to $1.9 billion. The bookings figure increased 5% above the October level and is 98% above the November 1996 level.
"This is the ninth straight month shipments and bookings have increased," said Dick Greene, principal analyst for SEMI. "In November, the orders were the highest they have been for 1997. The reason the ratio is lower is because the shipments grew at a faster rate than did the orders. This is why it is important to analyze the 'numbers behind the numbers.' Even with the current environment of DRAM pricing pressures and the financial concerns in the Pacific Rim, the industry continues to grow at a healthy level."
The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving average bookings to three-month moving average shipments. Shipments and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars. PS
Semiconductor International / February 1998
