TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Semiconductor Orders Outpace Shipments in June: But the industry’s torrid growth rate eased slightly from May, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. reported. The book-to-bill ratio, a closely watched indicator of industry growth, was at 1.17 in June, meaning there were $117 worth of new orders for every $100 in shipments. The ratio was down from 1.20 in May, but up strongly from 1.07 a year ago. The SIA said new orders reached $4.26 billion in June, down 0.6% from $4.28 billion in May. The bookings were up a strong 50.7% from $2.83 billion in June a year ago. Shipments rose 2.3% in June to a record $3.65 billion, from $3.56 billion in May. They were up 37.4% from $2.65 billion in June, 1994. Semiconductors, or computer chips, are the “brains” of computers and a central element in many other devices.