To All:
( BW)(SEMI) North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry
Posts February 1998 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.92
ÿÿÿÿBusiness Editors & High Tech Writers
ÿÿÿÿMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1998--The North
American semiconductor equipment industry posted a book-to-bill ratio of 0.92 for February
1998, it was reported by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI). A
book-to-bill of 0.92 means $92 in orders were received for each $100 worth of products
shipped.
ÿÿÿÿThree-month average shipments decreased in February 1998 to $1.4 billion. The figure
is four percent below the January 1998 level, yet it is 38 percent above the February 1997
level. Three-month average bookings also decreased in February 1998 to $1.3 billion. The
bookings figure is five percent below the January 1998 level, yet is 17 percent above the
February 1997 level.
ÿÿÿÿ"The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 31 percent of the global market for equipment and
consequently it's no surprise that events in the Asian financial markets may be impacting the
equipment industry," said Dick Greene, principal analyst with SEMI. "Of course suppliers are
closely monitoring economic developments in that region and looking for the situation to
stabilize."
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.
Month Shipments Bookings Book-to-Bill
September 97 1,458.2 1,538.4 1.05
October 97 1,549.8 1,583.7 1.02
November 97 1,634.1 1,633.1 1.00
December 97 (final) 1,559.3 1,550.3 0.99
January 98 (revised) 1,429.5 1,328.7 0.93
February 98 (prelim.) 1,373.3 1,256.6 0.92
ÿÿÿÿThe 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.
ÿÿÿÿThe 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.
ÿÿÿÿBased in Mountain View, Calif., SEMI is an international trade association serving more
than 2,100 companies participating in the $65 billion semiconductor and flat panel display
equipment and materials markets. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston,
Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. Visit SEMI
OnLine at www.semi.org. |
