North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts
November 1998 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.84
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., December 17, 1998 -- The North
American semiconductor equipment industry posted a
book-to-bill ratio of 0.84 for November 1998, it was
reported by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials
International (SEMI). A book-to-bill of 0.84 means $84
in orders were received for each $100 worth of products
shipped.
"Technology buys are certainly going ahead as planned
in the semiconductor industry," said Stanley Myers,
president of SEMI. "However, keep in mind that current
business levels for the equipment industry are running
about half of 1997. Technology purchases alone will not
return the equipment and materials industry to its
former profitability. We certainly hope to get to the
point where significant new capacity is needed before
the year 2000."
Three-month average shipments in November 1998 were
$963 million. The figure is 15 percent above the October
1998 level, yet is 41 percent below the November 1997 level.
Three-month average bookings increased in November 1998 to
$805 million. The bookings figure is 29 percent above the
October 1998 level, and 51 percent below the November 1997
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.
Month Shipments Bookings Book-to-Bill
June 98 1,265.5 932.7 0.74
July 98 1,112.1 717.6 0.65
August 98 1,011.8 571.6 0.57
Sep 98 (final) 845.7 481.3 0.57
Oct 98(revised) 834.4 623.5 0.75
Nov 98(prelim.) 962.9 805.0 0.84
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.
SEMI and 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 2,300 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.
ASSOCIATION CONTACT:
Mike Droeger/SEMI
Ph: 650.940.6953
Fx: 650.940.7932
E-mail: mdroeger@semi.org Jonathan Davis/SEMI
Ph: 650.940.6937
Fx: 650.940.7970
E-mail: jdavis@semi.org
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