SEMI: N.A. Equipment Makers Show Sustained Growth

Staff Reporter -- Electronic News, 7/21/2006

North American-based semi equipment manufacturers posted $1.75 billion in orders in June, and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.14, up from 1.11 in May, according a report by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) industry group.

A book-to-bill of 1.14 means that $114 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month. The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in June was $1.75 billion. The bookings figure is about 8 percent higher than the final May level of $1.62 billion, and more than 68 percent higher than the $1.04 billion in orders posted in June 2005.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in June was $1.53 billion. The billings figure is more than 5 percent above the final May level of $1.45 billion, and almost 33 percent above the June 2005 billings level of $1.15 billion.

"Total bookings for North American equipment manufacturers posted significant gains in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter," Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI, said in a statement. "It has been encouraging to see this sustained level of growth over the past seven months, and we are confident that 2006 will mark the second biggest growth year for our industry."