The nation’s two biggest LCD panel makers, Innolux Corp (群創) and AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電), both posted annual revenue growth of more than 65 percent for last month as the stay-at-home economy continued to spur demand for panels used in notebook computers and TVs.
Innolux yesterday said its consolidated revenue surged 65.9 percent to NT$27.51 billion (US$969 million), the highest monthly revenue in about three-and-a-half years.
The figure represented a monthly increase of 1.9 percent from NT$27 billion in December last year.
Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei Times
Shipments of large flat panels used in TVs and PCs decreased 4.5 percent month-on-month to 12.54 million units, while those of small panels expanded 14.3 percent month-on-month to 26.58 million units, the Miaoli-based company said.
Innolux said changes to its product portfolios and key component supply constraints affected its shipments last month.
The company said it would keep capacity adjustment flexible to satisfy customer demand.
Prices for large panels are expected to rise by a high-single-digit percentage this quarter from last quarter, extending an uptrend from the final quarter of last year, the company said.
On Monday, AUO reported that revenue last month jumped 71.8 percent to NT$26.62 billion, compared with NT$15.49 billion a year earlier, helped by higher product prices and a relatively low base of comparison a year earlier.
Compared with December last year’s NT$28.86 billion, revenue slipped 7.8 percent, as the first quarter is generally a slow season for flat-panel makers.
Total shipments also fell at a monthly pace of 7.8 percent last month, the company said.
Last week, AUO told investors that the COVID-19 pandemic would continue to drive demand for large TVs and high-specification computers this quarter, while panel supply has been tight due to robust customer demand.
However, the company warned of several challenges ahead, including a stronger New Taiwan dollar, a shortage of raw materials and insufficient personnel.
Also on Monday, panel maker HannStar Display Co (瀚宇彩晶) reported that revenue more than doubled to NT$2.48 billion last month, compared with NT$1.1 billion a year earlier.
That was a monthly decline of 3.5 percent from NT$2.57 billion in December last year, the company said.
Shipments of small and medium-sized panels dropped 7.3 percent month-on-month to 23.31 million units, while shipments of panels used in monitors contracted 21.3 percent to 237,000 units, the company said.
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