North American semiconductor equipment industry posts Nov. 2011 book-to-bill ratio of 0.83

SAN JOSE, USA: North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $973.3 million in orders in November 2011 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.83, according to the November Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 0.83 means that $83 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in November 2011 was $973.3 million. The bookings figure is 5.0 percent more than the final October 2011 level of $926.8 million, and is 35.7 percent below the $1.51 billion in orders posted in November 2010.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in November 2011 was $1.17 billion. The billings figure is 6.7 percent less than the final October 2011 level of $1.26 billion, and is 25.1 percent less than the November 2010 billings level of $1.57 billion.

“We see improvement in the book-to-bill ratio due to a slight increase in bookings as we approach the end of 2011,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “The industry waits for definitive signs of stability in the worldwide economy, which will improve end market demand and help solidify investment plans for 2012.”Source: SEMI, USA.