TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

September Semiconductor Book-to-Bill Ratio Falls: The pace of new semiconductor orders slowed in September, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. said. The trade group said the September book-to-bill ratio, which measures new orders against billings, slipped to 1.03, compared to a revised figure of 1.05 in August. A 1.03 ratio means that for every $100 of products billed, manufacturers received $103 of new orders. The August figure was revised upward from 1.04, the association said. Although off slightly from the previous month, the book-to-bill ratio was slightly higher than the 1.02 figure of September, 1993, and marked the 10th straight month the figure has surpassed the 1.00 break-even mark. The industry set a new billing record of $3.16 billion worldwide for September, the association said.