Liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel makers are raising prices of panels in the second half of this month on rebounding demand for TVs, especially in China, and inventory buildup by computer makers in preparation for PC replacement demand later this year, market researcher DisplaySearch said.
In addition, component supply constraints and labor shortages in China are casting uncertainty over panel production, DisplaySearch said in the report released on Friday.
The DisplaySearch report came after AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) said last month that prices for TV and PC panels might rebound by a single-digit percentage in the current quarter from the previous quarter on recovering demand.
“Brand TV makers are continuing to stock more panels for first quarter, especially since demand from China remains firm,” DisplaySearch said.
Prices for panels used in PC monitors are expected to rise US$1 on average, bringing the mainstay 19-inch monitor panel price to US$183 in the second half of this month, while those for 32-inch TV screens may stay at US$208, it said.
A price rise is rarely seen during the conventionally sluggish first quarter, but DisplaySearch attributed the rise to strong demand for 32-inch LCD TVs as the production of these shares capacity with monitor panels. Demand for monitor panels was higher than expected on concerns about panel allocation and plans for aggressive shipments in the first quarter, the report said.
Panel makers also planned to raise the price of notebook computer panels by US$1 in the second half of this month as Intel Corp’s new Calpella notebook platform and the Pine Trail-M netbook platform are set to hit the market this quarter, both of which are expected to spur replacement demand.
The new platforms may help boost notebook shipments, which are expected to increase 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, or 45 percent annually, DisplaySearch estimated. It did not provided a detailed forecast.
A 14-inch laptop panel is expected to be priced at US$61 in the second half of this month, the report said.
UNPRECEDENTED PACE: Micron Technology has announced plans to expand manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of a new chip plant in Miaoli Micron Technology Inc unveiled a newly acquired chip plant in Miaoli County yesterday, as the company expands capacity to meet growing demand for advanced DRAM chips, including high-bandwidth memory chips amid the artificial intelligence boom. The plant in Miaoli County’s Tongluo Township (銅鑼), which Micron acquired from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (力積電) for US$1.8 billion, is expected to make a sizeable capacity contribution to the company from fiscal 2028, the company said in a statement. It would be an extended production site of Micron’s large-scale manufacturing hub in Taichung, the company said. As the global semiconductor industry is racing to reach US$1 trillion
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
ABOVE LEGAL REQUIREMENT: The Ministry of Economic Affairs is prepared if LNG supply is disrupted, with more than the legal requirement of 11 days of inventory Taiwan has largely secured liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies through May and arranged about half of June’s supply, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday. Since the Middle East conflict began on Feb. 28, Taiwan’s LNG inventories have remained more than 12 days, exceeding the legal requirement of 11 days, indicating no major supply concerns for domestic gas and electricity, Kung said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei. The ministry aims to increase the figure to 14 days by the end of next year, he said. While one or two LNG or crude oil shipments for May
Taiwan’s food delivery market could undergo a major shift if Singapore-based Grab Holdings Ltd completes its planned acquisition of Delivery Hero SE’s Foodpanda business in Taiwan, industry experts said. Grab on Monday last week announced it would acquire Foodpanda’s Taiwan operations for US$600 million. The deal is expected to be finalized in the second half of this year, with Grab aiming to complete user migration to its platform by the first half of next year. A duopoly between Uber Eats and Foodpanda dominates Taiwan’s delivery market, a structure that has remained intact since the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) blocked Uber Technologies Inc’s
RSS