AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電), the nation’s second-largest LCD panel maker, yesterday reported that revenues last month dropped 23.6 percent from a year ago as prices fell amid weak demand for flat-panel televisions in North America and Europe.
Revenue last month dropped to NT$33.27 billion (US$1.14 billion) from NT$43.55 billion a year earlier, according to a company statement. However, it was up 1.6 percent from July’s NT$32.74 billion.
Shipments of flat panels for PCs and TVs grew 1.9 percent to about 10 million units last month, from 9.81 million units in July, and 0.9 percent from 9.91 million units in the same period last year.
Prices for mainstream 32-inch LCD TV panels fell 8.6 percent to US$138 per unit last month from US$151 at the end of July, as TV makers in Europe and the US were hit by sluggish demand and became cautious on building inventory ahead of the seasonal peak next quarter, market researcher DisplaySearch’s tallies showed.
The Austin, Texas-based researcher expected the price decline to carry into this month amid bleak TV prospects, which could lead to a further reduction in equipment loading rate.
In the first half of this month, prices for TV and PC panels fell by 1 to 3 percent from two weeks earlier, DisplaySearch said on Tuesday.
AUO expected prices for its TV panels to rise by a mid-single-digit percentage this quarter from last quarter on the back of growing shipments of panels supporting 3D features and mild seasonal demand.
In July, it said average factory utilization rate would drop slightly to 80 percent this quarter from 83 percent last quarter.
Smaller rival HannStar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶) also reported weak monthly revenues. HannStar, which is shifting its focus to make panels for handheld devices, said revenues plunged 21.6 percent year-on-year and 5.35 percent month-on-month to NT$3.22 billion last month.
Last month’s numbers were the lowest since February’s NT$3.16 billion, company data showed.
Shipments of PC and TV panels decreased 26.2 percent year-on-year and 12.9 percent month-on-month to 263,000 units last month.
Shipments of panels used in mobile phones, tablet computers and cameras reached 42.13 million units last month, up 48 percent year-on-year and 15.2 percent month-on-month.
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