FRANKFURT -- German printed circuit board fabricators reported revenues fell 16% year-over-year in October, but a strong uptick in new orders gave hope for a solid finish to the year.

For the month, incoming orders rose 25% sequentially, said ZVEI PCB and Electronic Systems, which tracks the data. Floods in Thailand boosted demand for domestic-produced automotive PCBs, ZVEI said.

The book-to-bill ratio was 0.99, meaning that for every 99 euros worth of boards ordered, 100 were shipped. A ratio above 1.0 is considered an indicator of a market poised to climb. The September ratio was 0.70.

Year to date through October, German PCB manufacturers reported revenues climbed 8% over 2010.

Follow us on Twitter: @mikebuetow