[THE INVESTOR] Global shipments of large-size LCD panels rose 9.3 percent on-year with 68.84 million units in August, according to market researcher WitsView on Sept. 26.

“Successive months of rising panel prices have caused concerns among branded TV set makers that increasing costs of panels will erode their product margins,” it said.

“To avoid larger price increases in the future, TV brands have kept expanding their panel purchases,” the statement said.

Shipments of TV panels reached a new monthly high in August, up 3.6 percent to 23.61 million units. Shipments of tablet panels jumped 25 percent on-month to 17.75 million units.

“TV and IT brands are continuing to stock up this September in preparation for the peak season,” Iris Hu, research manager of WitsView, said in the statement.

“However, panel prices have already risen significantly over the last few months, and branded device vendors have already made considerable purchases in advance. These factors will cause a slight downward correction for the overall panel shipments.”

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)