The US Semiconductor Industry Association blames waek economic activity in the larger US electronics industry for a decline in sales and orders of semiconductors in the US market last month, leading to a slump in the book-to-bill ratio to below replacement level, 0.96, compared with 1.01 in June. Average monthly orders for the three months to July were down 6.4% at $1,236.9m, and month of July orders were 0.5% down on the year-ago level. Semiconductor ships for the three months to July were down 1.8% at $1,284.6m; month of July ships were down 17.1% on the June figure at $1,177.9m, but up 4.2% on the June 1991 figure. The book-to-bill ratio of 0.96 compares with 1.01 in June, a revised 1.06 for May – the reported figure was 1.04, which means that the market peaked in April with a 1.14 figure, matched by February; March dipped to 1.10.
