Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Cymer (CYMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Logain Ablar who wrote (21787)	4/22/1999 8:11:00 PM
From: Mani1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25960

SEMI: Chip Equipment Sales Are Stronger Than Expected techweb.com EMI: Chip Equipment Sales Are Stronger Than Expected (04/21/99, 4:02 p.m. ET) By J. Robert Lineback , Semiconductor Business News Semiconductor capital-equipment recovery appearedto be picking up more momentum than expected at the end of the first quarter, accordingto new market data from the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International trade group. SEMI's book-to-bill ratio for March climbed to 1.30 from 1.21 in February, meaning North American equipment suppliers were receiving $130 in orders for every $100 worth of products shipped worldwide. The trade group also said worldwide equipment orders were up 14 percent to $1.15 billion in March from $1.01 billion in February. Last month's bookings were 2 percent higher than $1.10 billion in March 1998, based on SEMI's three-month rolling average. Revenue from semiconductor equipment totaled $887 million in March, based on the three-month average. SEMI's March billings figure was 6 percent higher than $835 million in February, but 35 percent lower than $1.34 billion recorded in March 1998, indicating chip- equipment markets still have a long way to go before fully recovering from last year's deep recession. "This is encouraging news," said Stanley Myers, president of SEMI, based in Mountain View, Calif. "First quarter orders have been stronger than expected, and the bookings for March are up 139 percent from bottom of the cycle in September 1998. "Reports coming out of Asia seem to suggest the economies there are recovering sooner than expected, and IC manufacturers, especially in Korea and Taiwan, are starting to order," Myers added. During last week's Semicon Europa trade show in Munich, SEMI presented a forecast that called for a 4 percent increase in semiconductor production equipment sales worldwide to $23 billion in 1999 compared with $22 billion in 1998. Last year, semiconductor capital fell 21 percent from $28 billion in 1997. Many equipment suppliers and analysts said they now believe capital spending by chip makers will steadily increase in 1999 and early 2000, leading to a potential boom period between 2001 and 2003.