Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor are unlikely to raise the contract prices of their computer chips despite price increase plans by Japan’s Elpida and Taiwan-based Nanya in April.
``As far as I know, Samsung Electronics has no immediate plans to raise contract computer chip prices to major clients,’’ a Samsung source who is familiar with the situation told The Korea Times Monday.
Samsung Electronics is the world’s No. 1 memory chipmaker with a global market share of 22.7 percent in 2007, followed by Hynix Semiconductor with 21.3 percent, according to data from iSuppli, a market research firm. Elpida is the world’s No. 4 with 8.8 percent after German-based Qimonda with 9.7 percent.
The souce has added that the global DRAM industry is still suffering from oversupply and forecast that a meaningful DRAM price rebound is unlikely in the second quarter.
DRAM is a short of dynamic random access memory and the chips are widely used in notebook PCs and laptops. The global DRAM industry has been facing ``consolidation’’ as manufacturers are actively strengthening overseas tie-ups and cutting production in a bid to tackle falling profits due to a supply glut.
Hynix also clarified that it will not react to the Japanese move.
``We will not raise our contract DRAM prices immediately because the global computer chip market is still in the doldrums,’’ a ranking Hynix source told the paper.
The comments came after Elpida, Japan’s only major maker of DRAM chips, and Nanya, announced plans to raise the prices of their DRAM chips by 20 percent and 5-10 percent, respectively, in April.
``With rising demand and falling inventory levels, now is the right time to raise our prices,’’ Elpida Chief Executive Yukio Sakamoto was quoted as saying in an interview with the media. ``Nobody can make profits at these levels. The market should really return to a healthy level now,’’ he said.
``We plan to raise chip prices in early April,’’ a Nanya spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Industry experts said the moves by Japanese and Taiwanese companies initially raised hopes for a recovery in the weakening DRAM market but that their decisions appear as virtual messages urging the South Korean makers to join forces for an early recovery of the currently collapsed memory chip market.
By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved
|
