LCD makers report mixed sales results

Taiwan's major flat-panel-display makers reported mixed results on sales and shipments last month, amid reports that they have almost used up their inventories in the second quarter and now face supply shortages of some components.

According to a Chinese-language newspaper report, the inventory of AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) -- Taiwan's top LCD panel maker -- fell to NT$15.1 billion (US$470 million) in the first quarter from NT$15.8 billion in last year's fourth quarter. The figure fell further in the second quarter, the report said, without providing exact figures.

The supply shortage has capped sales growth for the nation's panel makers, the newspaper said.

AU Optronics reported that unit shipments fell slightly last month but sales grew 3.7 percent to NT$15.95 billion, DigiTimes.com said yesterday on its Web site.

Shipments of AU Optronics' large-sized panels declined 0.2 percent to 2.37 million last month from May, while those of small-to-medium-sized panels dropped 7.3 percent to 3.68 million. For the first half of the year, the company saw shipments of large-sized panels increase 16.6 percent to 7.04 million units, while those of its small-to-medium-sized panels jumped 36.9 percent to 11.83 million units, DigiTimes reported.

As for Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (奇美電子), both sales and shipments dropped the most last month. The nation's second-largest flat-panel maker reported that sales fell 4.9 percent to NT$10.9 billion last month, while shipments fell 6 percent to 1.8 million units.

The company attributed the decrease to much stronger May shipments, when it was clearing out inventory, according to DigiTimes.

For the second quarter, Chi Mei estimates its sales and shipments stood at NT$32.89 billion and 5.47 million units, an increase over first-quarter figures of 13.6 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively.

Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (中華映管), meanwhile, reported that its overall sales rose 8 percent to NT$8.46 billion last month from May, as it kept ramping up capacity at its second 4.5-generation (4.5G) plant and was adjusting panel prices, the company said.

Chunghwa Picture recorded the highest growth rate in large-size-panel shipments of all panel makers, up 5.6 percent to 1.3 million units last month.

HannStar Display Corp's (瀚宇彩晶) sales grew more than that of Chunghwa Picture, showing a 12.8 percent increase to NT$5.79 billion last month, as steady demand boosted panel prices slightly. The panel maker shipped 1.05 million large-sized panels last month, up 3.3 percent from May.

Quanta Display Inc (廣輝電子) saw both sales and shipments decline by around 4 percent last month from May. But the company expects its shipments will grow significantly in the second half of this year, as it has finished equipment installation for expanded capacity at its 5G plant and has also successfully developed its first 6G panel, DigiTimes said.