BANNOCKBURN, IL — Total North American PCB shipments fell 2% year-over-year in January and the 90-day average bookings were off 2.9%.

PCB shipments were down 11.6% sequentially, IPC added.  Orders declined 6.8% compared to the previous month.

The North American PCB book-to-bill ratio decreased but remained positive at 1.01 in January. The ratio is calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. 

A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to six months. However, it could also stay positive even when orders are falling, provided shipments fall faster.

The ratio was down 60 basis points from December but has remained above 1.0 the past four months in a row.

“January PCB business in North America was down slightly from January 2014, but the book-to-bill ratio and other leading indicators continue to offer hope of some renewed growth in 2015,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research.

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