IPC releases IMS/PCB book-to-bill ratios for May 2006

JUNE 29--IPC--Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL, USA), a global trade association of 2300 member companies representing all facets of the electronic interconnection industry, including design, printed-circuit-board manufacturing, and electronics assembly, has announced its findings from its monthly Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio for May 2006 declined slightly but remained positive at 1.02 .The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio remained negative for the third straight month at 0.91 .

Rigid PCB shipments are up 20.2% and bookings are up 7.1% in May 2006 from May 2005 .Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 11.1% and bookings are up 12.8% .Rigid PCB shipments from the survey sample increased 8.5% from the previous month and rigid bookings increased 2.9% from the previous month. Flexible circuit shipments in May 2006 were down 4.2% and bookings were down 20.0% compared to May 2005 .Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are up 0.8% and bookings are down 14.5% .Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments from the survey sample increased 19.5% and flex bookings increased 19.2%.

For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in May 2006 increased 18.1% from May 2005, and orders booked increased 4.9% from May 2005 .Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 10.3% and bookings are up 10.8% .Combined industry shipments for May 2006 are up 9.2% over the previous month, and bookings are up 3.8% over the previous month.

"Shipments and bookings in both segments of the industry began to bounce back in May after a typically slow April," said IPC president Denny McGuirk. "In the rigid PCB segment, shipment growth pushed the book-to-bill ratio down somewhat, but it is still strong. The rigid PCB book-to-bill ratio has been positive for the past 10 consecutive months, which is a very strong trend," McGuirk added.

For more information, contact IPC director of market research Sharon Starr at [email protected] or (847) 597-2817.