IPC’s April Book-to-Bill Drops Slightly from March
The book-to-bill ratio for April 2004 remained positive at 1.11, just slightly down from 1.12 in March, according to IPC (Northbrook, IL). The ratio is calculated by averaging the index numbers for orders booked over the past three months and dividing by the average index numbers for sales billed during the same period. A ratio greater than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, indicating probable near-term growth.
Shipments in April increased 41.3% from April 2003, and orders booked increased 63.6%. PCB shipments are up 34.7% year-to-date, while bookings are up 47.1%.
The April shipment index was 131.4, down 13.3% sequentially, and the booking index was also down, decreasing 15.2% to 136.3.
The index shows how current shipments and bookings relate to an index point. In this case, 1992 was chosen as a stable growth year for U.S. PCB manufacturers. A shipment index number of 117.0, for example, indicates that shipments are 17% higher than average shipments for the same time period in 1992.
According to data reported by current participants in the monthly survey, their shipments increased 30.9% in April 2004 year-on-year and their orders booked increased 49.8%, with year-to-date shipments and bookings rising 30.4% and 43%, respectively.
The information is based on data provided by PCB manufacturers that participate in IPC's monthly statistical program. These companies reportedly represent approximately 60% of the U.S. IMS industry.
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