TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Semiconductor Book-to-Bill Ratio Rises: The closely watched ratio rose to 1.14 in April from 1.13 in March, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. said. A book-to-bill ratio of 1.14 means that for every $100 worth of products shipped, or billed, manufacturers received $114 in new orders, or bookings. The ratio is computed by dividing three-month average bookings by three-month average billings. April bookings rose 4.6% to $2.89 billion from $2.76 billion in March. April billings rose 3.6% to $2.53 billion from $2.44 billion in March. Analysts said the ratio came in much better than expected.