Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦), the world’s largest laptop contract maker by shipments, yesterday said sales last month rose 72 percent from a year earlier to NT$73.6 billion (US$2.3 billion) amid strong demand.
Its revenues in the first six months of this year jumped 86 percent to NT$438.5 billion, according to a statement.
The company shipped 24.8 million portable computers in the first half of the year, 100,000 units more than those of Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), therefore securing its leadership in the marketplace as the top maker.
SHIPMENTS
Compal shipped 4.2 million notebook computers last month, while Quanta churned out 4.8 million.
The competition between the top two computer makers has heated up after Compal successfully dethroned Quanta in terms of shipments last year for the first time.
The two companies are in a close race for the No. 1 spot this year.
Compal president Ray Chen (陳瑞聰) raised the company’s forecast for notebook shipments at last month’s shareholder’s meeting to 50 million units this year in response to growing demand from customers.
That revised figure represented about 32 percent growth from last year’s 37.8 million units. Compal originally projected shipments would expand to 48 million units this year.
ON TRACK
Meanwhile, with Quanta’s shipments in the first half totaling 24.7 million units, the company appears to be on track to meet its full-year shipment target of 50 million, up 40 percent from last year.
RBS Asia Ltd Taipei Branch said in a report released on Monday that contract notebook makers could see lower quarter-on-quarter revenues in the fourth quarter, primarily because more makers are shipping notebooks by sea, which reduces costs by about 3 percent.
“Our analysis shows that an increase in notebook PC shipments by sea could shift the seasonal peak one month forward from October to September,” the report said.
The market is likely to misinterpret lower fourth-quarter revenues as a sign of weak demand rather than a change in seasonality, and stocks could be punished as a result, it said.
PREFERRED STOCK
Compal is the most at risk, followed by Quanta and Wistron Corp (緯創), it said, adding that Wistron remains its preferred stock among the contract notebook makers thanks to attractive valuations.
Meanwhile, pioneer netbook computer maker Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) yesterday said it had posted a rise of 14 percent in sales last month to NT$20.6 billion.
Cumulative sales for the first six months were up 68.6 percent to NT$145.2 billion.
Shares of Asustek closed down 0.4 percent at NT$234 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday before the earnings announcement, while Compal shares were up 1.8 percent to NT$40.5.
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