Abstract

SEMI ratio dips to 0.91 in October

SAN JOSE, CA and WASHINGTON, DC—Global microelectronics device sales rose 5.1% to $30.45 billion, according to the latest figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). The largest regional sales jump occurred in China, where sales rose 14% to $9.78 billion in October.

Meanwhile, other market regions showed mixed results. The Japanese market posted a 7.2% jump, moving to $2.89 billion, SIA reported. The Asian Pacific market closed October at $8.91 billion, a 2% change, while the Americas market remained flat, posting $6.06 billion in October device sales. The European semiconductor market posted a 3% decline, moving to $2.82 billion for the month. 

Figure 1. below shows worldwide sales of semiconductor devices for October.

Figure 1. October 2016 (left) and October 2015 (right) semiconductor device sales in major global markets. The bars on the far right compare overall global sales for the same months in 2016 and 2015. 

Source: Semiconductor Industry Association (December 2016).

On the manufacturing equipment side, North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment had global sales of $1.49 billion October 2016, according to a report by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI). The trade group’s book-to-bill ratio dropped from 1.05 in September to 0.91. The latest ratio means that $91 worth of orders was received for every $100 of product billed in October.

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.

SEMI said that the three-month average of worldwide bookings in October 2016 was $1.49 billion. The bookings figure is 5.1% lower than the final September 2016 level of $1.57 billion, and is 12.2% percent higher than the October 2015 order level.

The three-month average for global billings was $1.63 billion in October. This number is 9.0% higher than the final September 2016 level of $1.49 billion, and is 19.8% higher than the October 2015 billings level of $1.36 billion, SEMI reported. Figure 2 tracks SEMI’s billings, bookings and book-to-bill ratio.

Figure 2. SEMI’s book-to-bill ratio was 0.91 in October.

Source: Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International November 2016).

Separately, SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) reported that sales of worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings were $11.0 billion for the 3^rd quarter of 2016. That figure is 5% higher than the second quarter of 2016 and 14% higher than for the 3^rd quarter of 2015, when sales were $9.6 billion.

Table A provides a comparison of billings for the leading markets for the 2015 and 2016 3^rd quarters. The highest sales each year were in Taiwan, followed by South Korea.

TABLE A

3^rd Quarter Sales of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment 

Source: Source: SEMI, SEAJ (December 2016)

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