FRANKFURT, GERMANY -- May shipments of printed wiring boards in Germany fell 4.2% sequentially, a pair of industry trade groups reported.

Bookings rose 16% sequentially, VdL and ZVEI said.

The book-to-bill ratio rose to 0.98, meaning 98 euros worth of orders were placed for every 100 euros worth of PWBs shipped. A ratio over 1.0 is considered the sign of a growing market.

Year to date through May, German PWB fabricators report revenues are down 42%.