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Large Area TFT LCD Panel Shipments Up 11 Percent Y/Y, Hits Record Level

Large area TFT LCD panel shipment area showed significant increases in March and April. In March, the total large area panel shipment area reached a record high level of 12.5M square meters, and the in April reached 12.3M, with a strong 11 percent Y/Y increase.

In PC and IT markets, there were mixed results. As we have reported, the desktop PC market continues to shrink, and LCD monitor panel shipment area decreased 4% Y/Y in April. Tablet PCs are another market that has seen a slowdown, both in panels and shipments to end-markets, and 9”+ tablet PC panel shipment area fell 11 percent Y/Y. With reasonable inventory levels at brands and some recovery in demand, notebook PC panel shipment area increased 11 percent Y/Y.

The biggest increase came from the TV panel market. Even though shipment volume only increased 4 percent Y/Y (on track with the expected set shipment growth rate), the shipment area of LCD TV panels increased 14 percent, reaching 9.2M square meters, and with only a 0.6 percent M/M decrease, nearly reached the record high 9.3M square meters shipment level of March, and become the major driving force of shipment area increase in large area panel market.

With market competition focus shifting from 32” to 39”, 40” and 42” range, as well as the 4K and curved LCD TV designs driving interest in 50” and above sizes LCD TV panels, shipment area looks set to increase in 2014, and could possibly mitigate over-supply concerns brought by the new G8 capacity increase in China.

Large Area (9” and Larger) Panel Shipment Area (thousands of square meters)

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Source: NPD DisplaySearch, Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database

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