At present, TFT LCD touch panel prices rebounded, and after six months of continuous decline, TFT LCD touch panel prices began to rebound at the end of July. Global TFT LCD panel prices have rebounded since August, according to Displaysearch, an international market research firm.
The price of a 17-inch LCD touch panel rose 6.6% to $112 in August, up from $105 in July, and fell from $140 in March to $105 in July. At the same time, 15 – inch, 19 – inch LCD touch panel prices also showed a different range of recovery. The price of a 17-inch LCD touch panel rose 5.8 percent, to $110, from $104 in late July, according to early August quotes from consulting firm with a view. Analysts believe the rebound will continue through the third quarter; LCDS will see seasonal growth in the third quarter, driven by back-to-school sales in us and the completion of inventory liquidation in the first half of the year. Dell and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) started placing orders for monitors in the third quarter, and display makers Samsung Electronics (SXG) and TPV (TPV) are expected to increase production by 25% and 18% respectively.
It seems that due to the increasing demand in the market, the production capacity of the display panel production line has been released. Domestic TFT-LCD touch panel makers boe and Shanghai guardian said their production schedules have been set for September, and their production capacity may reach full capacity by the end of the year. Jd will produce 85,000 glass substrates per month (with a designed capacity of 90,000), according to boe and Shanghai guardian. Previously, panel makers have been hit by falling prices, with boe, SFT, and even international panel giant LG Philips all reporting losses. If the rebound continues into the fourth quarter, boe, Shanghai radio and television and other panel makers will use the rebound to reverse the decline, according to industry analysts.
It is understood that the first quarter of the boe financial results shows that the company’s main business income of 2.44 billion yuan, a loss of 490 million yuan.Jd.com attributed the loss to a drop in the price of 17-inch TFT-LCD displays made by its Beijing TFT-LCD fifth-generation production line of Beijing boe photoelectric technology co., LTD., a subsidiary. Boe has issued the announcement of pre-loss in the first half of the year in April. Due to the influence of the off-season of TFT-LCD business operation in the first quarter of 2006, the company suffered a large operating loss, and the low price in the TFT-LCD market has continued till now. Therefore, it is expected that the operating loss will still occur in the first half of 2006.LG Philips, the world’s largest TFT LCD maker, reported a won322bn ($340m) loss in July, compared with a won41.1bn profit a year earlier.LG Philips attributed the loss to fierce price competition and market demand did not meet expectations.