Panel price sinking closer to bottom in 2HAug

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: Based on WitsView's market survey, mainstream monitors panel prices fell by 8~12 percent in 2HAug. NBs and TVs dropped respectively, by 6 percent and 2~5 percent.

According to WitsView’s large-sized panel cost structure, NB panels are currently the only profitable segment. Both large-sized monitor and TV panel prices are expected to fall below the fully-loaded cost in the end of August. It is projected that by the end of the third quarter, prices may fall near the cash cost level. This is the panel makers’ “last line of defense”.

Despite the TFT-LCD industry entering the traditional strong seasonality, the price pressure in August remains high. This is because the global consumer markets are still being affected by the inflation and credit squeeze problems. There is no notable improvement in the end market demand, and the previously accumulated inventory continues to be digested.

Meanwhile, "Taiwan panel makers have aggressively reduced the glass substrate input in cutting back the production output. If the brand vendors and retailers’ sales promotions can effectively stimulate the current sluggish consumer buying, thus bring the overall inventory to a more healthy level, there is a chance for panel prices to stabilize after the end of Q3," said H.P. Chang, head of WitsView's TFT-LCD research team.

Panel Price List in 2H of Aug/2008 (Prices are all in USD)