The preliminary December 2007 Book-to-Bill Ratio for North America-based semiconductor equipment suppliers rose slightly from the previous month to reach 0.89. Orders came in at $1.23 billion on a three-month average, which is 9 percent higher than November 2007 but 18 percent lower than in December 2006. 

"In 2007, North American equipment makers experienced a modest two percent growth in their global billings," said Stanley T. Myers, President and CEO of SEMI. "Most recent booking levels are 18 percent below one year ago, and reflect the general expectation that capital expenditures will be about 10 percent lower in 2008."

The three-month average of worldwide billings in December 2007 was $1.38 billion. The billings figure is about flat with the final November 2007 level of $1.38 billion and about seven percent less than the December 2006 billings level of $1.48 billion.