Quotes for IT and TV panels will continue their upward spiral in the fourth quarter of 2020 amid strong demand from TV and notebook vendors, tight capacity at panel makers, and short supply of some key components, according to industry sources.

Notebook brands are still striving to secure sufficient supply of panels needed for their production, notably for Chromebook models, in the fourth quarter to support lingering stay-at-home activities, said the sources.

In addition to panels, supplies of some key parts and components, including driver ICs, digital signal processors, power management (PWM) components and I/O microcontrollers, are also tight, added the sources.

Prices of HD TN notebook panels are likely to go up by US$0.40-0.80 in October, while quotes for mainstream IPS panels will hike by US$0.30-0.40 during the same month, according to Sigmaintell Consulting.

Although demand for monitor panels has not been as bullish as that for notebook applications, prices of mainstream monitor panels did go up slightly in September and will continue to move upward mildly in October. Quotes for open cell models will go up relatively higher due to tight supply.

China's panel makers including BOE Technology, CEC-Panda LCD Technology and China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) have shift more capacities at their 8.5G lines to the production of monitor panels, said the sources.

As panel makers are likely to give production priority to IT panels at the moment, prices of TV panels could rise by 10% in the fourth quarter 2020 and continue to stay at high levels, estimated the sources.

By DIGITIMES