The final book-to-bill ratio in December for North America-based semiconductor equipment suppliers was 0.85, down from the preliminary figures issued last month of 0.89, according to SEMI. The book-to-bill ratio for January was 0.89. 

“Orders remain below levels reported in early 2007 and are consistent with the reduction in capital spending announced by many device manufacturers,” said Stanley T. Myers, President and CEO of SEMI. “While new capacity will be added this year, the industry appears cautious about new investments in the near term.”

The three-month bookings average (worldwide) in January 2008 was $1.12 billion - approximately three percent less than the final December 2007 level of $1.16 billion and 22 percent less than the $1.45 billion in orders posted in January 2007.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in January 2008 was $1.27 billion. The billings figure is about seven percent less than the final December 2007 level of $1.36 billion and about twelve percent less than the January 2007 billings level of $1.45 billion.

Having reached a low of 0.79 in September 2007, the trend has been moving up since, despite the expectation that capital spending will be down by as much as 15 percent for 2008. However, with CapEx spending currently expected to be first-half-year loaded, the book-to-bill ratio is expected to decline in the second half of the year, according to market analysts.