North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts December 2012 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.92

January 28, 2013 - (ASIA TODAY)- North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $924.1 million in orders worldwide in December 2012 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.92, according to the December Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 0.92 means that $92 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in December 2012 was $924.1 million. The bookings figure is 28.6 percent higher than the revised November 2012 level of $718.6 million, and is 16.2 percent lower than the December 2011 order level of $1.10 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in December 2012 was $1.01 billion. The billings figure is 10.6 percent higher than the revised November 2012 level of $910.1 million, and is 22.6 percent less than the December 2011 billings level of $1.30 billion.
“Both bookings and billings increased in December, but remain below figures reported one year ago,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “While uncertainty remains regarding the 2013 equipment outlook, the foundry and advanced packaging segments are the key investment drivers at the beginning of the year.”

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. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Source: SEMI, January 2013

The data contained in this release were compiled by David Powell, Inc., an independent financial services firm, without audit, from data submitted directly by the participants. SEMI and David Powell, Inc. assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the underlying data.

The data are contained in a monthly Book-to-Bill Report published by SEMI. The report tracks billings and bookings worldwide of North American-headquartered manufacturers of equipment used to manufacture semiconductor devices, not billings and bookings of the chips themselves. The Book-to-Bill report is one of three reports included with the Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS).

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and micro-electronic manufacturing supply chains. Our 2,000 member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit 　www.semi.org.

Association Contacts
Dan Tracy/SEMI
Phone: 1.408.943.7987
Email: dtracy@semi.org

Deborah Geiger/SEMI
Phone: 1.408.943.7988
Email: dgeiger@semi.org

Notes:
• Next SEMI Book-to-Bill: February 21, 2013 at 3:00pm PST

• The SEMI North American Book-to-Bill data trends include estimates for some North American companies that do not participate in the SEMI data collection program. Estimates are based on most current public financial statements and announcements from companies, in addition to analysis of overall equipment industry trends. These estimates represent up to approximately 20 percent of the SEMI Book-to-Bill.

• Beginning with the July 2012 data, SEMI returns to a reporting format that accommodates two months of data refinement (revision): the first month of data is labeled ‘preliminary’; the second month, the data is labeled ‘revised’; and the third month, the data is labeled ’final’. This reporting procedure was used for the SEMI North American Book-to-Bill up until October 2001.

• For information on SEAJ Book-to-Bill Report, visit 　www.seaj.or.jp

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