BANNOCKBURN, IL — North American printed circuit board fabricators reported rising shipments in December although order growth couldn't keep pace.

The 90-day moving average shipments in December was up 5.9% compared to the same month last year. Bookings, meanwhile, fell 2.2% year-over-year, IPC announced today.

Compared to November, shipments increased 12.3%. Orders were up 11.6% sequentially.

The book-to-bill ratio slipped 10 basis points to 0.98, meaning $98 worth of boards were ordered for every $100 shipped. It was the second straight months the index was below 1.0. A ratio below 1.0 is considered an indicator of near-term softness. 

For 2016, shipments finished up 2.9% year-over-year. Annual bookings fell 0.7% versus 2015.

“Year-on-year growth in North American PCB sales and orders both strengthened in December, even though order growth remained negative compared to last year,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “The North American PCB book-to-bill ratio remained in negative territory for only the second consecutive month, which is a typical seasonal pattern in the PCB industry and not a cause for concern. Order growth is likely to resume in early 2017.”

IPC will release its North American PCB Market Report next week.