TECHNOLOGY - Sept. 11, 1992

Semiconductor Orders Rise: Running counter to the typical late summer trend, the U.S. semiconductor industry’s key market indicator--the book-to-bill ratio--stood at a healthy 1.08 in August, according to the Semiconductor Industry Assn. August was the 10th consecutive month that the book-to-bill ratio has been at 1.0 or higher. A book-to-bill ratio of 1.08 means that for every $100 worth of products shipped (billed), manufacturers received $108 worth of new orders (bookings). The ratio is computed by dividing three-month average bookings by three-month average billings.