Prices for LCD panels used in televisions and computers are expected to extend their decline over the past month-and-a-half as demand for flat-panel TVs remained weak in the US, the world’s largest TV market, Austin, Texas-based research firm DisplaySearch’s latest survey showed.
The price decline fell short of the firm’s expectation as it had said falling inventories and back-to-school PC demand were likely to provide a cushion for panel prices and the price reduction in the first two weeks of this month would be across-the-board.
“To stimulate demand with great retail price reductions in the promotional season, TV brands and original electronic manufacturers continue to negotiate for better panel prices,” DisplaySearch said in the report issued yesterday.
Prices for the mainstream 32-inch LCD panel are expected to decline by 3.3 percent to US$174 per unit in the first half of this month, from US$180 per unit quoted two weeks ago.
Prices for 40-inch and 42-inch LED-backlight LCD TV panels may drop by 1.14 percent to US$435 per unit from the second half of last month as LCD panel makers were more willing to reduce prices to help stimulate sales of ultra-slim LED TVs, according to DisplaySearch.
The US research firm expected panel makers to be under constant pressure to cut panel prices for notebook computers amid a prevailing gloomy PC outlook after excessive inventory caused a drastic decline in notebook panel prices last month.
A mainstay 14-inch LED-backlight LCD panel is expected to fall by 2 percent to around US$49 during the first half of this month from two weeks earlier, DisplaySearch’s tally indicated.
Decline for LCD monitor panels would be even steeper. The price for a mainstream 19-inch LCD panel may drop almost 6 percent to US$63 per unit, according to DisplaySearch.
The research firm said monitor makers were requesting for further price reductions, as they “are concerned about weak demand and inventory issues as well as the margin pressure.”
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