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IPC Posts December '05 Book-to-bill Ratio
January 30, 2006 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — In December 2005, IPC–Association Connecting Electronics Industries' North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio stayed strong at 1.09, but the North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio dropped to 0.95. Based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC's monthly PCB Statistical Program, the combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio remained positive at 1.06.
In December 2005, rigid PCB shipments are up 9.5% and bookings are up 14.2% compared to December 2004. Year-to-date, rigid PCB shipments are down 2.9% and bookings are up 3.9%. Rigid PCB shipments increased 8.7%, while rigid bookings increased 12.5% from November 2005. Meanwhile, flexible circuit shipments are up 30.2% and bookings are up 40.3% compared to December 2004. So far this year, flexible circuits shipments are up 30.3% and bookings are up 19.1%. Compared to November 2005, flexible circuit shipments increased 2.8% and flex bookings increased 2.9%.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry sales billed (shipments) in December 2005 increased 13.8% and orders booked increased 20.4% from the same month one year ago. Year-to-date, combined industry shipments are up 3.4% and bookings are up 7.7%. For December 2005, combined industry shipments are up 7.2% and bookings are up 9.7% over November 2005's figures.
"Sharp drops in the book-to-bill ratio for flexible circuits are no cause for alarm unless the ratio continues at low levels for several months. This is because bookings in this segment are so volatile," says Denny McGuirk, IPC president. "Flexible circuit sales actually ended the year 30% ahead of 2004. Rigid PCB sales ended the year 3% below the 2004 level. Overall, 2005 sales for the PCB industry as a whole were 3.4% ahead of 2004."