Global orders for equipment used to make semiconductors are expected to be "dismal" for the rest of this year after bookings in the industry lagged billings for a second straight month last month, a research company said.
Third-quarter orders of chip-manufacturing equipment are expected to be between 10 percent and 15 percent below the previous period, California-based VLSI Research Inc said in an e-mailed report dated Tuesday.
Worldwide bookings amounted to US$3.94 billion last month, while billings were US$4.85 billion, VLSI Research said. As a result, the book-to-bill ratio was 0.81 in August, indicating equipment makers received US$81 in orders for every US$100 in shipments.
Full-year sales of equipment is forecast to climb 55 percent from last year "on account of the very strong performance" during the first half of this year, VLSI said.
The book-to-bill ratio slipped below one in August for the first time in a year, as chipmakers bought too much gear during the first six months of the year. A figure below one indicates a contracting market, while above one indicates growth.
San Jose, California-based Semiconductor Equipment & Materials International (SEMI) said on Tuesday that orders to North American companies that sell equipment fell 10 percent last month from a month earlier as chipmakers slowed spending. The book-to-bill ratio was 0.96 last month, SEMI said.
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