Since the end of 2Q18, major DRAM suppliers have been negotiating over the contract prices for Q3. Despite the fact that the bit output has been increasing quarter by quarter, the average selling prices of DRAM may still see a marginal rise in 3Q18 since the buyers are eager to stock up for the upcoming traditional peak season, says DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce.
According to the latest report by WitsView, a division of TrendForce, global TV panel shipments reached 23.52 million in May, a 9.1% growth over the previous month. Although branded TV makers have purchased fewer panels since 2Q18 in order to adjust their inventory levels, the panel makers still have high utilization rates. In the situation, they planned special deal projects to increase the shipments, which would probably further lower the panel prices.
The growth momentum for 2H18 NAND Flash market is expected to be weak, according to the latest report of DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Coupled with continuous improvements in yield rate and output of 64/72-layer 3D NAND Flash, DRAMeXchange expects the market to approach a balance between supply and demand, the contract prices of NAND Flash products are expected to decline further.
The stock up for the World Cup has come to an end in 1Q18, earlier than expected. The market grows weak in 2Q18 with no particular demand for TV panels. WitsView, a division of TrendForce, estimates that the major branded TV makers will reduce their panel purchases by 4% quarterly in 2Q18.
The shortfall in the supply of server DRAM may ease in the second half, as evidenced by the increasing average shipment fulfillment rate in the past several quarters, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce.