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LCD Panel Volume Dips For April

Austin, Texas – Global shipments of large-area TFT LCD panels
declined 6 percent in April, but showed significant growth compared to the same
month last year.

According to

DisplaySearch’s

monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database global large-area TFT LCD panel shipments for
April were 53.9 million units, on $7.1 billion in revenue, which was down 4
percent from March.

Despite the month-to-month declines, April larger area LCD panel
shipments were up 34 percent in units from the and up 72 percent in revenue
from the same time last year, DisplaySearch said.

Large-area TFT LCD shipments have consecutively grown for the
past 16 months, except in October 2009 and February 2010, when overall LCD
panel sales dipped.

The October decline was due to inventory adjustments by PC and IT
brands, while the February decline was due to the shorter working days during
the Chinese New Year holiday.

DisplaySearch speculated the month-to-month April shipment and
revenue declines were a sign of downstream inventory adjustment and end-market
demand slowdown in the notebook PC, monitor and TV sectors.

According to David Hsieh, DisplaySearch VP, “The April results
indicate that TFT LCD might be entering a panel price and inventory correction
period in Q2’10 as we previously forecasted. While there were slowdowns in the
notebook and monitor sectors, TV panel shipments remained the same as the
previous month. Although the TV panel demand in China is declining due to
inventory adjustments, demand is still healthy from the global TV brands.”

Hsieh added, “It is to be expected that the panel price will fall
gradually in Q2’10 due to the slowdown in demand.

However, we do not think the price decline will be drastic,
because several components are in tight supply. It is also possible that panel
makers will adjust their utilization before they reduce prices. Global economic
conditions still support a strong demand year, so we remain optimistic for the
second half of the year.”

In other LCD panel highlights from April, LG Display was the unit
shipments leader with 23.4 percent market share, followed by Samsung with 21.5
percent, Chimei Innolux with 18.5 percent, and AUO with 17.9 percent.

On a revenue basis, Samsung was the leader with 26.5 percent
market share, followed by LG Display with 23.7 percent, Chimei Innolux with
15.8 percent, and AUO with 15.7 percent.

LCD shipments for portable PCs (including notebook and mini-note)
and for monitors showed month-to-month declines as overall TV panel shipments
remained flat.

Among the 18 large-area TFT LCD companies reported, all
experienced a monthly decline in April except BOE, Sharp, HannStar, IPS Alpha
and Tianma (the former SVA NEC).

Large-area TFT LCD shipments reached 8.1 million square meters in
April, down 4 percent M/M, but up 45 percent year to year.

Mini-note (5.0-11.6 inches, including 9.7 inches) panel shipments
were 4.0 million in April, slightly down from March.

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