Niche-market MLCC specialist Holy Stone Enterprise has seen clear order visibility through the third quarter of 2021, driven by strong demand for notebook, networking, power supply, gaming and fast charging applications, and its new MLCC capacity will further power its growth after coming online starting the third quarter, according to industry sources.

Holy Stone has sustained almost full capacity utilization for specialty MLCCs, and persistently strong demand has dragged down its inventory level to only one month from reasonable levels of 60-90 days and also prolonged its delivery lead times to 15-16 weeks, particularly for large-size high-voltage/capacity MLCCs, the sources said.

The company has reported its first-quarter 2021 revenues rose 39.24% on year to NT$4.408 billion (US$157.43 million), and its net earnings for the quarter shot up 117% sequentially and 78% on year to NT$545 million. Passive components contributed 37% of the revenues, compared to 28% for active components, 23% for system modules and 12% for others.

The company now focuses its MLCC production on medium- and larger-size ones that can resist high temperatures and boast high power and high reliability, mainly for applications to industrial control, automated machinery networking equipment, LED, and automotive segments.

To meet growing demand for super-high-voltage MLCC for EVs and medium-capacity MLCC for fast charging, Holy Stone is building a new plant in northern Taiwan at a total cost of NT$2.5 billion and is set to ramp up commercial run of the new MLCC capacity starting the third quarter this year, the sources said, adding that the company's full monthly MLCC production will reach 1.6-1.7 billion units by second-quarter 2022.

By DIGITIMES