PCB |
North American PCB sales & orders continue to outpace 2018
The IPC reports that year-over-year growth in April was positive for sales and orders, and the book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.02.
Total North American PCB shipments in April 2019 were up 6.6% compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of April was 14.0%. Compared to the preceding month, April shipments decreased 23.1%.
PCB bookings in April increased 9.4% year-over-year, bringing year-to-date order growth up to 4.0%. Bookings in April were down 14.0% from the previous month.
“A return to solid year-over-year order growth for the North American PCB industry in April moved the book-to-bill ratio from parity (1.00) to 1.02,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “The ratio has been at or above parity for the last 28 months, which is an unusually long stretch for this leading indicator. Recent ratios indicate continued but slower growth in the coming months.” She added, “April’s negative month-to-month growth rates are not a cause for concern, as they reflect normal seasonal patterns.”
