According to the latest investigations by the DRAMeXchange research division of TrendForce, NOR Flash buyers found that their inventories were low and stepped up their procurement efforts as they anticipated the growing risk of COVID-19 causing disruptions in the supply chain. These efforts sustained the uptrend of NOR Flash prices from 1Q20 to 2Q20. NOR Flash ASP climbed by around 5% QoQ in 1Q20 and increased even further, by about 10% to 20% QoQ in 2Q20.
According to the latest investigations by TrendForce, the combined revenues of the top 10 foundries increased by more than 20% YoY in 2Q20. This growth took place as there was not a massive reduction in wafer start orders in 1Q20, while foundry clients expanded their orders in 2Q20 due to both increased production of existing devices and new applications generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The comparatively low base period in 2Q19 also contributed to the YoY increase in foundry revenue in 2Q20.
According to the 1Q20 revenue ranking of global top 10 IC design companies compiled from TrendForce’s latest data, Qualcomm was able to stop the trend of continuous YoY revenue declines, which lasted for the six previous consecutive quarters, because of its effective 5G product strategy and the considerable growth in WFH and distance learning demand. On the other hand, Broadcom’s semiconductor business displayed negative growth for five consecutive quarters because of market competition and the China-U.S. trade war, subsequently trading places with Qualcomm on the revenue ranking list in 1Q20.
According to the latest investigations from the WitsView research division of TrendForce, issues with the NB (notebook computer) panel supply chain, such as material shortage, labor shortage, and logistic disruptions, were gradually resolved starting in April. The resolution of these issues, combined with rising WFH and distance education demand brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in a strong wave of panel demand in 2Q20. TrendForce projects 2Q20 NB panel shipment to reach 53.3 million units, a 17.7% increase YoY and 33.6% increase QoQ.
According to the latest investigations by the WitsView research division of TrendForce, as panel demand begins to rebound in 2Q20, panel quotes are expected to stabilize as a result. Therefore, panel makers are projected to see improved revenues in spite of the limited magnitude of cost reduction for upstream panel components in 2Q20.