NEWS GENERAL

The panel crisis is easing, even if only selectively: According to KY Lee, Chairman of AU Optronics (AUO), the prices of certain LCD panel models are expected to bottom out due to an influx of short lead-time orders.


However, Lee stated that the 2012 business outlook for the panel industry remained uncertain. Surprisingly good LCD TV sales at the Black Friday weekend in North America had boosted demand for flat panel displays, Lee further noted, adding that prices for certain monitors and TV panels had been increased accordingly.


If sales during holiday season are developing well, some vendors may accelerate the launch of new products for 2012. In this case, new models are to be expected already in February, according to Lee. As the global economy will remain weak and the debt crisis in Europe and the U.S. will not have been fully resolved, the prospects are very differently, depending on the company and the product, the AUO CEO stated.

AUO has plans to increase production capacity and will also tightly control capital and operating expenses, which includes to lower the 2012 capex below 40 billion NTD (1.36 billion USD).