The three major memory manufacturers were ready for the third-quarter arrival of the iPhone 6, adjusting their production capacities to meet Apple's immense demand for mobile memory. The reduction in commodity DRAM production caused contract prices to rise, and commodity memory products had the highest margins in the third quarter. As a result, DRAM industry value reached US$12.0 billion, an 11% increase over the second quarter and a new quarterly revenue record. As memory makers' production ratios are well adjusted and they continue to increase next-generation output, their profitability is expected to see further improvement. Samsung is at the head of the pack with its operating margin at 42%, while SK Hynix is close behind at 40%. Micron, still using the 30nm process as its main technology, had a gross margin of 24.1%. However, with the DRAM oligopoly, profits are expected to remain stable and DRAM industry value is projected to reach US$46.1 billion in 2014 and US$52.0 billion in 2015, for 13% YoY growth...
Reviewing the NAND flash market in the second quarter, although OEMs began restocking in June, NAND flash supply exceeded demand in April and May. As a result, average NAND flash selling price fell by 5-10% QoQ in the second quarter, and suppliers saw a decrease in revenue and operating margins...
As a result of strong smartphone growth, mobile DRAM has the highest production ratio in the global DRAM industry, edging out commodity DRAM. With less supply, commodity DRAM has become the most profitable product category and contract prices were on the rise in the second quarter. Global DRAM industry value reached US$10.8 billion in the second quarter, a 9% QoQ increase. Looking at profits, of the three major DRAM makers, Samsung had the best performance with an operating margin of 39%, while SK Hynix was close behind with 38%. Inotera, part of the Micron group, had the highest operating margin of all DRAM manufacturers, at 55%. With the oligopoly and tight supply, a decline in DRAM prices would have been difficult. TrendForce forecasts DRAM industry value will reach US$46.8 billion in 2014, a 36% YoY increase...
Since the formation of the DRAM industry oligopoly last year, the memory market has profited across the board. Even SK Hynix, with production at its Wuxi fabrication plant recovering gradually in the first quarter, has not experienced a decrease in profitability...
In review of the NAND flash market in the first quarter, although output only increased by 6.1% QoQ, weak demand due to seasonality resulted in market oversupply. Average NAND flash contract price fell by 18-20% QoQ, while NAND flash suppliers’ revenue and operating margins also decreased compared to the fourth quarter of 2013...
As SK Hynix recovers from the fire at its Wuxi fab, the fourth quarter supply shortage has eased, and contract price has begun to fall – the 4GB contract price high dropped from US$35 to US$34 in January...
Although the SK Hynix fire affected NAND flash capacity, as memory makers were overly optimistic towards demand in the fourth quarter, supply exceeded demand and average NAND flash contract price fell by 13-14% QoQ. NAND flash suppliers’ revenue and operating margins fell in the fourth quarter...
The fire at SK Hynix’s Wuxi fab had a significant impact on the NAND flash market in the third quarter, and will continue to do so in the fourth quarter. Some memory suppliers reallocated NAND flash capacity to DRAM in the wake of the fire, and the reduced output helped stabilize the NAND flash price trend in September and eased oversupply in the fourth quarter. However, the demand outlook is conservative, TrendForce expects short-term NAND flash industry growth will be limited...
According to DRAMeXchange, a division of global research firm TrendForce, initial DRAM price trend projections for the second half of 2013 were gloomy, but the September fire at SK Hynix’s Wuxi fab temporarily resulted in severe supply shortage. Spot prices increased by 40% with DDR3 2Gb hitting US$2, while contract price reached a high of US$34. However, as SK Hynix and Samsung both increased production in the wake of the fire, the price uptrend that resulted from the incident has already been suppressed, and the contract price trend is expected to stay flat or decrease slightly in the fourth quarter...
In the second quarter, NAND flash bit output only increased 8.4% QoQ since suppliers did not expand capacity. Furthermore, as manufacturers reduced supply to channel clients to help stabilize the market, smartphone and tablet shipments were as expcted. With healthy supply and demand, second-quarter NAND flash contract price was roughly the same as the previous quarter...