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AUO regains top LCD spot

"The [monthly] decline is because of seasonal correction, but the pace is much slower than past years."

David Hsieh, DisplaySearch

Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) regained the top position in the world's liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel industry last month by unit shipments, beating South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co by a small margin, according to a report released by market researcher DisplaySearch said yesterday.

AU Optronics shipped 7.93 million computer and television LCD panels last month, slightly outpacing Samsung, which ranked No. 1 in October, with 7.81 million units, the Austin, Texas-based researcher's figures said. LG.Philips LCD Co (LPL) came next, taking the No. 3 spot.

In the first 11 months, AUO also ranked No. 1, followed by LPL and Samsung, DisplaySearch said.

Computer and TV panel shipments decreased 5 percent to 37.93 million units last month from 39.78 million units in October, mostly because of slow demand for computer monitors on seasonal factors.

On an annual basis the figure represented growth of 36 percent, the researcher said.

"The [monthly] decline is because of seasonal correction, but the pace is much slower than past years," said David Hsieh (謝勤益), the vice president of DisplaySearch's Greater China division.

Shipments of panels used in notebook computers and TVs only dropped 2 percent and 1 percent month on month, respectively, the report said. Shipments of LCD monitors fell by 7 percent.

Looking forward, shipments of PC and TV panels may slide by between 4 percent and 5 percent quarter on quarter as demand is expected to weaken in the traditionally slow season, Hsieh said.

But, LCD TV shipments would remain relatively strong.

"Robust demand for slim-screen TVs during holiday sales is expected to extend to the first quarter as historical experience shows," Hsieh said.

Shipments of LCD TVs may fall 5 percent quarter on quarter in the first three months of next year, slower than the 9-percent quarter-on-quarter decline in the first quarter of last year, Hsieh said.

AU Optronics, Samsung and Taiwan's Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (奇美電子) were the three biggest LCD TV panel suppliers last month, DisplaySearch said.

Shares of AU Optronics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics jumped 5.74 percent and 4.55 percent yesterday to NT$57.1 and NT$41.4, respectively, better than the benchmark TAIEX index's 1.07 percent gain. The two companies were among the five most actively traded stocks.
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