Spotlight: Book-to-Bill Ratio Falls on Decline in Chip Orders

The semiconductor equipment book-to-bill ratio for North America, a closely watched gauge of the industry, fell to 0.69 in July from a revised 0.76 in June, as orders for machines used to make chips fell, according to research group Semiconductor Equipment & Materials International in Mountain View. A ratio of 0.69 means that chip equipment makers got orders worth $69 for each $100 of products shipped. Several chip equipment makers have seen sales fall recently amid Asia’s turmoil and weak demand.