Total reported sales for all relay categories in North America for the first quarter of 2017 were 4% higher than the previous quarter and up 1.4% from the same quarter of 2016. Sales units for Q1 2017 came in about equal to the units sold in Q4 and 16% more than Q1 of 2016.
The total booking dollars reported for all relay categories in North America for Q1 2017 came in above the previous quarter by 9%, and up 14% from Q1 2016. The first quarter’s book-to-bill ratio for dollars was 1.15. Booking units in Q1 2017 ran 7% below Q4. The first quarter’s book-to-bill ratio for units was 0.982.
In the first quarter of 2017 compared to the fourth sales were up in dollars for EMRs and SSRs. Units for EMRs declined while SSRs jumped higher. ASP’s were down for SSR and up for EMRs. In total dollars rose than 4% and units were unchanged while the ASP was 4% higher. When compared to the first quarter of last year EMRs were down in dollars and up in units while SSRs were higher for each. ASPs declined for EMR and SSR. In total dollars were up 1.4% and units 16% higher with an ASP 13% lower.
Sales Growth by Relay Category
Booking dollars and units moved higher in Q1 compared to Q2 for SSRs while EMRs saw a dollar decrease. In total, booking dollars rose 9% and units moved down 7% with a 17% ABP increase. The comparison to Q1 of 2016 shows dollars and units up for EMRs and SSRs. All in, dollars rose by 14% with units 4% stronger. The ABP for EMRs rose 10% while SSR’s dropped 32% and the total was off by 9%.
Bookings Growth by Relay Category
The graph below shows total quarterly indexed sales and bookings in dollars and units for the reported data. Sales dollars and units rose through first three quarters of 2014 and then started a downward trend through the end of 2015, then improved the first three quarters of last year to drop in Q4 and improved last quarter. Booking dollars and units followed a similar trend albeit with a much larger step down in the third quarter of 2014 and an upturn in Q4 of 2015 that ran through 2016. In Q4 of 2016 booking dollars exceeded sales dollars for the first time in over two years. The large difference in bookings and sales between Q3 2014 and Q3 2015 may represent an industry adjustment in inventory.
The overall indexed selling prices had generally moved higher until the second half of 2015 when the trend seemed to reverse. Indexed booking prices also trended upward until the second half of 2015 and then booking prices trended significantly lower than selling prices. In Q1 of this year, booking price jumped above the selling price, something that hasn’t occurred in two years.
Book-to-bill dollars dipped to a low in the Q3 of 2015 and have trended higher since. Book-to-bill units broke higher the second quarter of 2015 and have been mostly over 1.0 since. The ratio of average booking to selling prices has general moved higher until Q1 of 2015 when the trend changed downward. In Q2 of 2016, it started heading up to level equal to two years earlier.
