SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide bookings in February 2016 was $1.26 billion. The bookings figure is 3.7 percent lower than the final January 2016 level of $1.31 billion, and is 3.9 percent lower than the February 2015 order level of $1.31 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in February 2016 was $1.20 billion. The billings figure is 1.3 percent lower than the final January 2016 level of $1.22 billion, and is 5.9 percent lower than the February 2015 billings level of $1.28 billion.

"The book-to-bill ratio has remained at or above parity for three months in a row,” said Terry Tsao, president of SEMI Taiwan. “The data indicate an improved spending trend in the second half of the year, driven by 3D NAND and 10nm investments.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

The data contained in this release were compiled by David Powell, Inc., an independent financial services firm, without audit, from data submitted directly by the participants. SEMI and David Powell, Inc. assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the underlying data.

The data are contained in a monthly Book-to-Bill Report published by SEMI. The report tracks billings and bookings worldwide of North American-headquartered manufacturers of equipment used to manufacture semiconductor devices, not billings and bookings of the chips themselves. The Book-to-Bill report is one of three reports included with the SEMI Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS).