Chip Book-to-Bill Solid, But Slow in September
By Colleen Taylor -- EDN, October 18, 2006
North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.62 billion in orders in September, reporting a book-to-bill ratio of 1.00, according to trade group Semiconductor Equipment and Materials (SEMI).
A book-to-bill of 1.00 means that $100 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month. The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers.
The three-month average of worldwide bookings in September was $1.62 billion. The bookings figure is 6 percent below the final August level of $1.73 billion and almost 65 percent above the $984 million in orders posted in September 2005.
The three-month average of worldwide billings in September was $1.63 billion. The billings figure is almost 7 percent below the final August level of $1.74 billion and almost 50 percent above the September 2005 billings level of $1.09 billion, according to the group’s data.
"Bookings for the North American semiconductor equipment manufacturers declined in September as the current equipment cycle slows down," Dan Tracy, senior director of industry research and statistics at SEMI, said in a statement. "Overall performance for the year, however, remains on track to become the second strongest year for equipment spending in the semiconductor industry."
