AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電), the third-largest liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel maker in the world, yesterday posted its highest monthly sales in about one-and-half years as price rose on recovering demand and limited supply.
AUO’s sales grew 19.7 percent last month to NT$41.08 billion (US$1.28 billion), from NT$34.32 billion in September last year, the most since the company made NT$44.3 billion in May last year.
The Hsinchu-based panel maker made NT$111.34 billion in revenues in the third quarter, up 7 percent year-on-year, or 35 percent quarter-on-quarter.
That was slightly lower than the NT$113. 32 billion estimated by HSBC Securities analyst Frank Su (蘇穀祥), who is optimistic compared with most LCD analysts.
The company shipped 28.9 percent more computer and TV flat-panels — 26.71 million units — in the quarter ending Sept. 30 compared with a year earlier, setting an all-time high.
On quarterly basis, the shipments represented about 19.2 percent growth, almost reaching the high end of the range between 15 percent and 20 percent growth forecast by AUO.
The company said in late July that prices for computer and TV panels might rise between 10 percent and 15 percent quarter on quarter because stronger-than-expected recovery has caused short supply in the traditionally holiday shopping season.
AUO said factories would run to full capacity in the third quarter to cope with rising demand from China and other markets.
Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (CPT, 中華映管), the nation’s No.3 flat-panel maker, said yesterday that last month’s sales plunged 32 percent year-on-year, a drop of 5.7 percent month-on-month, ending seven months of increases.
Overall, CPT made NT$19.26 billion in the July to September period, a contraction of 45 percent from NT$35.15 a year ago. On quarterly based, it translated to a 62 percent jump after 38 percent growth in PC and TV panel shipments.
Panel maker HannStar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶) said sales rose 1.9 percent year-on-year, a drop of 11.5 percent month-on-month, to NT$5.4 billion last month. That brought its third-quarter revenues to NT$17.56 billion, a 17 percent rise over last year.
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