The latest research on the LCD monitor market by WitsView, a division of TrendForce, finds that product shipments were fairly subdued in the first half of 2017. In the beginning of the year, prices were high for small-size TN panels that are generally used in products suited for driving shipments. Brand vendors working mainly on the consumer segment of the monitor market thus opted to focus on selling high-margin products rather than growing their overall shipments. Their product mixes during the first half of the year favored large-size segments and niche applications.
The latest lithium-ion battery market report from EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, finds that the price upswing for battery cells has started to moderate since this third quarter. Although the price of cobalt reached a new high for the recent years during the third quarter, prices of battery cells have been climbing more slowly after the large hikes in the second quarter. The overall price increase in the battery cell market is anticipated to be even smaller for this fourth quarter.