Date: 29/11/2010

Korean panel makers' TFT-LCD panel shipments exceeds 50% reports Displaybank

Displaybank has announced that the share of Korean panel makers' large-area TFT-LCD panel shipments exceeded 50% to widen the gap between Taiwan makers further. The share of Korean makers' panel shipment reached 52.3% which rose 3.0%p M/M while the share of Taiwan makers' panel shipment dropped 2.5%p to 37.3%. The last time the share of Korean makers' panel shipment went over 50% was April 2009, year and 5 months ago. These and other findings are disclosed in Displaybank's newly updated Monthly Large-area TFT-LCD Panel Shipment Data Report, which covers Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel shipments on a monthly basis.

Andy Yu, vice president in Display research group at Displaybank noted "the reason for the widen gap between Korean makers and Taiwan makers can be found in the recent panel price trend. While current IT panel market price is dropped to the cast cost level, TV panel price has some room towards the cash cost level. From this, Chinese/Taiwan makers with higher IT panel production share had to adjust production output through adjusting utilization rate but Korean makers have maintained relatively higher utilization rate."

Other highlights of the study:
The total large-area TFT-LCD panel shipments grew M-o-M after turning positive M-o-M in previous month. September large-area TFT-LCD panel shipments recorded 54.90M units that rose 0.3% M/M or rose 6.3% Y/Y and also recorded US$6.3 billion which has decreased 3.3% M/M.

Shipment trend by application showed similar trend as previous month but variable gap has been lowered. TV panel shipment reached 19.84M units that increased 1.5% M/M and Notebook panel shipment reached 18.97M units that increased 2.7% M/M. But Monitor panel shipment showed decrease of 2.1% M/M to 15.11M units to continue its decreasing trend in September. In case of IT panels, shipments have either slightly increased or decreasing pace have been stabilized as price decline stabilized facing year-end demand.

Ricky Park, senior analyst in Display research group at Displaybank noted "makers' panel inventory level which was considered as the major reason for the recent panel price decline is being resolved and both set and panel makers are looking for opportunities in the market through adjusting inventory as well as utilization rate. With recent Chinese holiday sales results meets analysts' expectations, it would have positive effect into the fourth-quarter panel market."