LG Display (LPL), one of the world’s largest LCD supplier, announced on December 10, 2008 that the company is revising its Q4′08 outlook. For the worst. LCD panel ASPs are now expected to fall by a low 20s percent in Q4′08, that’s quite a bit more than what the company expected previously: high single digits. [...]
On December 12, 2008, Sharp announced that it will close LCD panel production lines at two of its plants that manufacture small/medium LCD panels. One will be at its plant located in the Mie prefecture while the other will be a factory in the Nara prefecture. The closures will be from January 2009. Sharp is [...]
Back in November, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), LG Display (LPL) and Sharp all pled guilty to LCD price fixing. The US Justice Department announced that LPL and Sharp will be sentenced in mid-December. LPL will be sentenced December 15 according to reports and will pay US$400 million. Sharp will be sentenced the very next day [...]
“One has to use the brakes…”
KY Lee, Chairman, AUO
AU Optronics (AUO), the largest LCD manufacturer in Taiwan, has announced that it will delay the construction of two LCD fabrication plants by at least six months. AUO was originally planning to commence construction of the buildings for its G10 and G11 LCD fabs in July 2009. [...]
AU Optronics (AUO), the largest LCD supplier in Taiwan, reported November TFT LCD results for November on December 8, 2008. Preliminary consolidated revenues declined 34.9% M/M and 66.8% Y/Y to NT$17,754 million. Large-sized (10″ and larger) LCD shipments were down 29.2% M/M to just over 4.5 million units. Small/medium LCD shipments fared worse dropping 34.5% [...]
Another poor result by a LCD manufacturer (see CMO’s November results). This time it’s HannStar. November revenues declined 36.5% M/M and 75.29% Y/Y to NT$1.97 billion. LCD shipments for monitor applications were down 34.5% M/M to 503K units. Medium-sized (small/medium?) LCD shipments declined 23.1% M/M to 1.4 million units. Average utilization rate in Q4′08 is [...]
Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) is the number two LCD supplier in Taiwan. On December 8, 2008, CMO reported November TFT LCD sales and it was not good. Net sales dropped 41.3% M/M and 65.9% Y/Y to NT$12,234 million. Large-sized (10″ or larger) LCD shipments declined 31.6% M/M and 35% Y/Y to 3,361K units. The worst [...]
Normal utilization rates hover around 90%. 50% is really low and is the result of weak demand for LCD goods. But the news is that Taiwan’s LCD manufacturers are suffering quite a bit from this downturn. AU Optronics (AUO), Taiwan’s top LCD supplier, is at about 50% utilization in Q4′08. Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO)’s average [...]
Sharp is considering reducing LCD TV production and may cut temporary workers at its Fukuyama plant in Hiroshima prefecture. The Fukuyama plant makes components used in LCD TVs. The reason? Slowing deman for LCD TVs. Miyuki Nakayama, Tokyo-based spokeswoman for Sharp, stated that the time and size of the cuts have yet to be decided. [...]
Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) is the second largest LCD manufacturer in Taiwan and just announced that its November LCD fab utilization rate dropped to below 60%. Normal levels are high 80s. CMO is only taking orders with price quotes that are above its manufacturing cash cost levels. Jau-Yang Ho, President of CMO, indicated that the [...]