thread: new BTB data shows that orders have plateaued. In fact, if
you back out the 3-month averaging, it shows that orders in Feb. were
about the same as in November, since the 3 month average for Feb. is
the same as for Jan.
So it looks like the recovery is stabilizing. This doesn't look like
a V-shaped bottom for the cycle.
North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts February 1999
Book-to-Bill Ratio of 1.17
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American
semiconductor equipment industry posted a book-to-bill ratio of 1.17 for
February 1999, it was reported by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials
International (SEMI). A book-to-bill of 1.17 means $117 in orders were
received for each $100 worth of products shipped.
"We appear to be seeing some stabilization after four months of steady
bookings growth, and this is in line with industry forecasts for 1999," said
Stanley Myers, president of SEMI. "There have been no big surprises in either
the chip or electronics markets to cause a sudden change in direction for
equipment makers. We remain optimistic that a continued strong economy will
lead to a more robust upturn by year's end."
Three-month average shipments in February 1999 were $820 million. The
figure is five percent below the January 1999 level, and is 40 percent below
the February 1998 level of $1.4 billion. Three-month average bookings were
flat in February 1999 at $962 million. The bookings figure is 22 percent
below the February 1998 level of $1.2 billion.
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 98 845.7 481.3 0.57
October 98 852.3 638.0 0.75
November 98 931.6 767.2 0.84
December 98 (final) 920.9 883.4 0.96
January 98 (revised) 865.0 964.7 1.12
February 99 (prelim.) 820.0 962.7 1.17
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. |
