The price of liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panels could further drop near the cost level of panel suppliers in the second half of this month as computer and TV makers cut orders to digest excessive inventory, a Taipei-based market researcher forecast yesterday.
Panels used in PC monitors may suffer the brunt by falling between 6 percent and 7 percent, or US$8, per unit, from the first half of this month, said WitsView, a research arm of DRAMeXchange Technology Inc (集邦科技), in a bimonthly report released yesterday.
WitsView’s forecast matches the projection by DisplaySearch, which also said panel prices might not stabilize until September because of oversupply and cautious consumer spending amid a global economic slowdown.
“Inventory adjustments are now their key priority,” WitsView said in the report.
PC and TV makers have drastically cut orders on expectations that prices would plunge in the last week of this month, it said.
Prices for notebook panels could slide by 3 percent in the second half of this month and TV panel prices could drop by between 2 percent and 3 percent, it said.
WitsView said it would closely monitor whether panel makers would push through with their plans to lower equipment loading to ease the oversupply.
“The price plunge in July has driven prices near panel makers’ full-loading cost. Thus, we expect the rate of decline to narrow in August,” said H.P. Chang (張小彪), head of WitsView’s TFT-LCD research team, in the report.
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