The semiconductor industry’s book-to-bill ratio fell to...

The semiconductor industry’s book-to-bill ratio fell to 0.92 during the past three months because of lower inventories and slower markets, an industry trade group reported. The industry posted a September book-to-bill ratio of 0.97, which means that it received an average of $97 in new orders for every $100 worth of equipment shipped for the three months ended that month, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. reported. October’s decline in the ratio came as major computer makers corrected their inventory levels and major markets slowed, analysts said. October shipments, or billings, totaled $1.02 billion, down 21.6% from September’s $1.3 billion.