5 posts and columns on AU Optronics

News Byte

Apple Looks to Taiwan for iPad 2 Panels

in News on March 31, 2011 at 8:53 am PT

Apple is scrambling to retool its supply chain following this month’s devastating earthquake in Japan, searching out new suppliers to avoid running out of components as demand for the iPad 2 surges. Taiwan’s Economic Daily News reports that Apple has tapped AU Optronics as a secondary source of iPad displays, agreeing to pay a high premium to guarantee a steady supply. Sources say the deal will require about half of the capacity of AU’s fifth-generation plant in central Taiwan, which could end up producing 100,000 displays daily for Apple.

LCD Makers' Increased Capacity May Stifle Recovery

in News on October 6, 2009 at 10:47 am PT

The rush by Asian liquid-crystal-display makers to ramp up production at home and to invest in new plants threatens to curtail the nascent recovery in the flat-panel market. LCD makers in Asia have just started to see their earnings recover in the second quarter after prices began to rise thanks to production cuts made last year, component shortages and strong demand from China.

Deep Discounts Fail to Stem LCD Panel Supply Glut

in News on December 29, 2008 at 9:11 am PT

Despite deep discounts in stores, liquid crystal display inventory still far outweighs demand. Even though there are rumors of the Taiwanese government encouraging mergers between panel makers, reduced capacity for production would be unlikely to result–and the glut will most likely continue.

LCD Panel Makers Keep Going Despite Falling Factory Use

in News on December 24, 2008 at 9:45 am PT

The makers of LCD panels for laptops and TVs are pressing on with churning out the glass, no matter how badly the industry is doing, reports trade pub DigiTimes. In an article on its Web site, the paper says that despite an expected 10 to 20 percent drop in factory use in the first quarter of 2009, many companies are not going to cease production entirely.

Market Gets Nervous on LCD Panels; AUO, LPL, GLW Drop

in News on September 2, 2008 at 3:17 pm PT

Shares of glass maker Corning (GLW), LCD panel producers AU Optronics (AUO) and LG Display (LPL) are all down sharply today amid a new wave of market jitters on the prospects for the flat-panel display market. Several recent Street research reports note that conditions in the LCD panel sector have been difficult for much of the third quarter, raising questions about the companies’ ability to hit current Street estimates.