The Semiconductor Industry Association’s book-to-bill ratio fell to 1.15 in July, from a revised figure of 1.16 reported for June, marking the second monthly drop in a row. The ratio for June was revised downward from the original figure of 1.17.The three-month average US market order bookings for July totalled $981.1m, down just 0.5% on June. Three-month average billings through July amounted to $854.7m, up 2% on the three-month figure to June. The Semiconductor Industry Association did not specify the order level for the month of July alone. At $806.3m million, July shipments alone were 14.1% lower than the June figure. The Association noted, however, that if the number of working business days is taken into account, billings actually increased 8.5% on an average daily basis.As with last month’s drop, the fall was attributed to a typical summer slow-down. Manager Douglas Andrey commented The outlook for the industry this year continues to be excellent. The strength of orders and ships this summer, a season when large declines are usually experienced, confirms our belief that 1987 will be the best year since 1984.