SEMI: NA tool demand flat M-M in March

April 20, 2007 – Semiconductor equipment demand was essentially flat in March vs. the previous month, and year-on-year sales and orders of chipmaking tools rose very little, according to data from SEMI.

The new figures incorporate revised data from SEMI, which earlier this week fixed inaccuracies to show that actual levels of demand in both January and February were significantly lower than previously reported, off by as much as 10%-15% vs. earlier estimates.

Worldwide billings for North American-made semiconductor equipment stayed about flat at $1.42 billion in March vs. February, and were 6.0% higher than March 2006. Bookings rose just 1.4% sequentially and 2.3% year-on-year to roughly $1.42 billion. The resulting book-to-bill ratio (B:B) of even-parity 1.00, improved from 0.98 in February, means that $100 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The updated figures “show relative equilibrium of orders and shipments over the past few months, reflecting continued market stability for North American providers of chip making equipment,” said SEMI president Stanley Myers, in a statement.

Looking at SEMI’s (revised) data for the first three months of the year, orders for chip tools in 1Q07 declined about 5% from 4Q06, but were up 10% from the same quarter a year ago. Sales were similarly slower during the first quarter sequentially (-6%) and higher than a year ago (~9%).

North American equipment bookings, billings — Jan 2006-Feb 2007

Month…….Billings…….%M-M………%Y-Y……….Bookings……..%M-M……..% Y-Y………B:B
………… (3-mo. avg.)……………………………………(3-mo. avg.)……………………………………..

Mar’06…………..1338.7…….4.3%………5.2%……….1385.3……..7.1%…….40.2%……..1.03
Apr’06…………..1448.5…….8.2%……..16.9%……….1602.4…….15.7%…….60.4%……..1.11
May’06…………..1452.6…….0.3%……..19.8%……….1619.0……..1.0%…….59.5%……..1.11
June’06………….1557.4…….7.2%……..35.2%……….1782.3…….10.1%…….71.7%……..1.14
July’06………….1637.9…….5.2%……..51.9%……….1734.6…….-2.7%…….72.2%……..1.06
Aug’06…………..1742.8…….6.4%……..65.1%……….1729.7…….-0.3%…….69.6%……..0.99
Sep’06…………..1672.8……-4.0%……..53.7%……….1639.2…….-5.2%…….66.6%……..0.98
Oct’06…………..1562.9……-6.6%……..36.4%……….1468.6……-10.4%…….34.3%……..0.94
Nov’06…………..1486.1……-4.9%……..26.0%……….1426.5…….-2.8%…….30.5%……..0.96
Dec’06…………..1482.3……-0.2%……..21.1%……….1497.2……..5.0%…….31.0%……..1.01
Jan’07…………..1448.0……-2.3%……..15.0%……….1445.8…….-3.4%…….17.9%……..1.00
Feb’07 (f)………..1423.0……-1.3%……..11.3%……….1398.1…….-3.1%……..8.3%……..0.98
Mar’07 (p)……..1418.9…….0.3%………6.0%……….1417.4……..1.4%……..2.3%……..1.00
1Q07 (e)………..4289.9……-5.3%……..10.5%……….4261.3…….-6.0%……..9.1%……..0.99

WaferNEWS source: SEMI

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