Shares of PC makers declined yesterday after Intel Corp, the world’s largest chipmaker, lowered its sales forecast for the fourth quarter overnight, dealers said.
Intel’s revenue downgrade, driven by the negative impact of a shortage of hard disk drives on global PC production, raised concerns among investors that Taiwan’s PC suppliers would see their profitability squeezed at a time when global demand has already been eroded by fragile economic fundamentals, they said.
“Along with weakening global consumption, the problems in Thailand have added downward pressure on PC firms’ share prices,” Grand Cathay Securities (大華證券) analyst Mars Hsu (徐振家) said.
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達), one of Intel’s largest chip clients, fell 2.17 percent to NT$58.70, Pegatron Corp (和碩) shed 2.72 percent to NT$32.20 and Acer Inc (宏碁) lost 0.88 percent to NT$33.90.
“I am not surprised by the Intel move,” Hsu said. “It simply -confirmed simmering fears over the PC component shortage caused by the recent serious flooding in Thailand.”
Intel said on Monday it expected fourth quarter sales to range between US$13.4 billion and US$14 billion, lower than the previously anticipated range of US$14.2 billion to US$15.2 billion, confirming that global PC output has been affected by the hard disk drive shortage.
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