BANNOCKBURN, IL – November PWB orders climbed 11.8% year-over-year in North America, while shipments fell 9.1%, IPC said today. The book-to-bill fell 0.02 points to 1.06, remaining in positive territory for the ninth straight month. For the month, rigid shipments fell 9.6%% and bookings climbed 11.8%. The rigid book-to-bill ratio was 1.06. Flex sales were down 1.6% and bookings were up 12.6%. The flex book-to-bill fell to 1.02.

The book-to-bill ratios are 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 an indicator of future sales growth.

Rigid PWBs make up an estimated 88% of the current North American market.

Year to date, shipments are down 9% and bookings are down 7.2%. Rigid shipments are down 9.1% and bookings are down 8%. Flexible sales are down 6.4% and orders are up 5.5%.

Sequentially, shipments fell 0.6% and bookings dropped 3.5%. Rigid shipments fell 1.7% and bookings dropped 4.1%. Flex PWBs were up 16.3% and bookings were 4.3% higher.

According to IPC, 84% of the reported shipments were produced in North America. 

Unlike the SIA semiconductor data, IPC does not disclose the size or number of the participating companies, making it difficult to determine whether the trade group’s sample is representative of the market.

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