BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American printed circuit board shipments decreased 0.9% in March compared to the same month in 2014. Year-to-date shipments are down 1.3%, says IPC.

Sequentially month, March PCB shipments were up 20.1%.

PCB orders increased 1.6% year-over-year, improving the year-to-date order growth rate to 1.2%. Orders increased 16.9% sequentially in March.

Although sales remained sluggish, orders continued ahead of last year, and the book-to-bill ratio held steady at 1.05.

A ratio of more than one suggests current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to six months.

“The North American PCB business continues to experience stagnant sales compared to last year, but bookings are slightly ahead of last year and are strengthening,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Strong growth in March sales and orders over the prior month reflects normal seasonal patterns. The book-to-bill ratio has been positive for the past six months, which is a positive indicator for sales growth in the second and third quarters of 2015.”