TrendForce: Strong May 1st Labor Day Demand in China Enables March’s Large-sized Panel Shipments to Surge by 5.6%

Coupled with TV brand vendors’ preparation for ordering 2012’s new models, top 4 panel makers’ LCD TV shipments in Mar-12 jumped as inventory stocking started to surge in preparation for May 1st Labor Day. Among which CMI enjoys the most powerful shipment growth momentum.

According to WitsView, the panel research division of TrendForce, large-sized panel shipments in Mar-12 amounted to 61.58 million units with an increasing MoM of 5.6%.

LCD TV panel shipments in Mar-12 possessed the strongest momentum, reaching 16.59 million units with MoM growth of 18%, while monitor panel shipments amounted to 16.30 million units, a rising MoM of 6.2%. Shipments of regular notebook above 12.1” came to 16.84 million units with a MoM increase of 1%. As for tablet PC shipments, as LGD and Sharp’s panel supply remained insufficient to meet the demand for The New iPad that has already been launched, coupled with controlled iPad2 2 inventory and plunging demand for panel, leading the overall tablet PC shipments in Mar-12 to fall by 11.9% MoM with a total of 6.11 million units. Netbook shipments amounted to 2.74 million units and stayed flat compared to the previous month.

In terms of individual panel makers’ performance, CMI’s TV panel shipments in Mar-12 outperformed its peers with a surging MoM of 35% due to two factors: 1) its significant effort in establishing partnership with China brand vendors, 2) strong demand for 39” and 50” new-sized panels, resulting in tight capacity in G6 and G7.5. AUO, Samsung, and LGD also enjoyed the increasing MoM of 16% in TV panel shipments.

Jeffy Chen, TrendForce research manager, indicated that overall panel shipments in Mar-12 jumped MoM due to inventory preparation for May 1st Labor Day and downstream IT vendors’ pulling orders. Notwithstanding notebook, monitor, TV downstream vendors’ downward procurement momentum, LGD and Sharp’s increasing panel production of The New iPad since 2Q12 is expected to lead April’s overall tablet PC and large-sized panel shipments to grow over 40% and 2 ~ 3% MoM respectively.
  
Chart 1: TFT-LCD Panel Shipment in Mar-12 (K units) 

Source: WitsView