Carl, sorry, I forgot the BW URL's are only good for the day. The text follows. Clearly, TRKN needs to show it's taking advantage of 6-months of industry growth:
BW0023 SEP 17,1997 4:55 PACIFIC 07:55 EASTERN
( BW)(SEMI) North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts
August 1997 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 1.11
Business Editors/Computer Writers
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 1997--The
North American semiconductor equipment industry posted a book-to-bill
ratio of 1.11 for August 1997, it was reported by Semiconductor
Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).
A book-to-bill of 1.11 means $111 in orders were received for
each $100 worth of products shipped.
Three-month average shipments increased in August 1997 to $1.5
billion. The figure is five percent above the July 1997 level and 24
percent above the August 1996 level. Three-month average bookings
increased in August 1997 to $1.7 billion. The bookings figure rose
three percent above the July 1997 level and 94 percent above the
August 1996 level.
"An important trend shown in the August data is the steady
advance in equipment orders," said Dick Greene, principal analyst
for SEMI. "In fact, orders have advanced in each of the prior six
months (March-August 1997). This month's index reflects the
continuing investment by semiconductor companies in the next level of
technology and increased capacity."
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.
-0-
*T
Month Shipments Bookings Book-to-Bill
March 97 1,101.6 1,264.7 1.15
April 97 1,260.5 1,385.7 1.10
May 97 1,299.4 1,421.0 1.09
June 97 1,374.6 1,474.3 1.07
(final)
July 97 1,468.1 1,662.2 1.13
(revised)
August 97 1,544.1 1,714.5 1.11
(preliminary)
*T
-0-
The data contained in this release was compiled by the
independent public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen LLP, without
audit, from data submitted directly by the participants. Arthur
Andersen LLP can assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the
underlying data.
The data are contained in a monthly Express Report published by
SEMI that tracks shipments and orders for equipment used to
manufacture semiconductor devices, not shipments and orders of the
chips themselves.
Based in Mountain View, Calif., SEMI is an international trade
association serving more than 2,000 companies participating in the
$55 billion semiconductor and flat panel display equipment and
materials markets. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Texas, Beijing,
Boston, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and
Washington, D.C. Visit SEMI OnLine at semi.org .
--30--rab/sf* jf
CONTACT: SEMI
Lisa Anderson, 415/940-6918
landerson@semi.org
or
Mathews & Clark
Walter Mathews, 408/736-1120
wmathews@mathewsandclark.com |
