Article Abstracts | September 2007
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LCD Panel Market Readjusts
Large-size panel sales were surprisingly strong in the second quarter, according to an iSuppli report.
by Anne L. Fischer
When consumer demand is up for large-size televisions, it would seem logical that profits for all components would be up as well. However, according to the electronics industry market analysis company iSuppli Corp. of El Segundo, Calif., the price of the televisions dropped so dramatically in the first quarter of 2007 that profit margins for panel makers were flat. But the picture has brightened in the second quarter.
“At last panel makers are starting to make money,” said Sweta Dash, director of LCD and projection research for iSuppli. She attributes this to tighter supplies and strong sales, which allowed television panel makers to increase prices. Panel manufacturers also have increased optimism as they anticipate the capacity increases through 10th-generation LCD fabs, which are expected to produce very large TV panels more cost effectively than in the past. The increase in panel prices during the second quarter is a change from the first quarter of the year, when panel makers were selling below cost...
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