APRIL 22--The North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $823 million in orders in March 2003 and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.99, according to a recent Express Report published by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI; www.semi.org). A book-to-bill of 0.99 means that $99 worth of new orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.
The three-month average of worldwide bookings in March was $823 million. The bookings figure is 8% above the revised February level of $761 million and 2% below the $836 million in orders posted in March 2002.
The three-month average of worldwide billings in March 2003 was $834 million. The billings figure is 7% above the revised February level of $778 million and 5% above the March 2002 billings level of $798 million.
"Signs of some improvements in corporate earnings and in the geopolitical environment provide further hope for recovery this year, however we remain cautious looking out over the near-term," said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "One strongly positive sign is the growth of the test and assembly segment, which has historically preceded overall recovery in the industry. Orders for final manufacturing equipment have increased for three consecutive months and the book-to-bill ratio for the segment has been above parity for two straight months."
