Some Taiwanese DRAM makers may not be able to restore their credit profile after the recent downturn in the industry because less access to next-generation and cost-effective technologies may keep them in a disadvantageous position, a report issued by Taiwan Ratings Corp (中華信評) said yesterday.
A rebound in DRAM prices helped some memory chipmakers return to profitability in the final quarter of last year, but the revival alone may not be enough for Taiwanese chipmakers to improve their weakness in credit profiles, Taiwan Ratings analyst Shirly Kuo (郭映彤) said.
Taiwan Ratings is a local arm of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.
“In our view, timely investment in more advanced process technology remains crucial to DRAM makers’ long-term profitability and competitiveness,” Kuo said in the report.
Leading players’ aggressive technology upgrades would further enlarge the technology gap with their smaller competitors and would result in higher market share concentration among big DRAM makers, the report said.
“Without continuing investment in technology upgrades, chipmakers will be unable to lower production costs to remain competitive. This is of particular concern to several Taiwanese DRAM makers that have less access to much-needed capital injections,” Kuo said.
The spot price of benchmark DRAM chips fell 1.21 percent to NT$3.09 per unit, Taipei-based market researcher DRAMeXchange Technologies Inc (集邦科技) said.
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