AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) yesterday posted its second consecutive drop in monthly revenues because of falling prices.
Last month, revenues of the nation’s biggest liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel maker slid 3 percent to NT$38.4 billion (US$1.2 billion), compared to NT$39.6 billion generated in October, the company said in a statement. Shipments of computer and TV panels increased 4.1 percent month-on-month, or grew one fold from year ago, to 9.32 million units last month.
On an annual basis, however, AU Optronics more than doubled its revenues from NT$17.75 billion from the previous year thanks to recovering demand.
The company said in October that prices for PC and TV panels might decrease by a single digit percent this quarter from the third quarter.
Smaller rival Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (奇美電子) said yesterday that its revenues grew 8.65 percent last month from October to NT$29.9 billion after shipping 5 percent more PC and TV panels. It made NT$12.2 billion in November last year.
Market researcher DisplaySearch projected that computer panel prices would hold steady in the first two weeks of this month, as panel makers allocated more capacity for TV panels on strong demand, reversing a decline in October and September.
Prices for LCD TV panels may drop slightly by US$1 to US$3 per unit in the first half of this month from two weeks ago, the researcher said on Sunday.
Shares of AU Optronics and Chi Mei dropped 0.43 percent and 0.93 percent to NT$35.05 and NT$21.2 respectively yesterday.
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