March shipments rose more than semiconductor Wall Street has said prospects

International semiconductor equipment and Materials Association (SEMI) said recently that the March North American semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers orders shipments ratio is 1.04, higher than 1.01 in February.

March orders to shipments ratio of 1.04, which means that the monthly shipments of $100 per month, while receiving orders of $104. SEMI's orders to shipments ratio is the three month moving average ratio of global orders and shipments to North American semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers.

SEMI's president and chief executive officer Stanley Myers said: the market continues to show strong, which can be seen from the continuous growth of orders and orders shipped over second consecutive months higher than the 1. Continued growth in orders, as well as the recent announcement of the capital expenditure plan, enhance the confidence of the industry began to improve in 2006."

March global orders for the three month moving average of $1 billion 350 million, an increase of nearly $1 billion 290 million in 2006, compared to $5%, compared with $988 million in 2005, an increase of $37% in March. March global shipments of three months moving average of $1 billion 300 million, an increase of $1 billion 280 million compared to $1% in February 2006, an increase of $2% compared to $1 billion 270 million in March 2005.

Wall Street generally believe that the second half of 2006 but in semiconductor manufacturing equipment market prospects, but the investment bank Piper Jaffray Inc. thinks that the market is still a glimmer of hope, still expects overall 2006 capital expenditure will increase by 15% than in 2005.