LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Lextar Electronics has reported September consolidated revenues reached NT$1.139 billion (US$38.1 million) decreasing 7.89% sequentially but increasing 13.15% on year. LED chip packaging house Unity Opto Technology saw its September consolidated revenues drop 7.22% sequentially and 43.17% on year to NT$513 million.
Lextar's third-quarter consolidated revenues totaled NT$3.696 billion, slipping 3.95% sequentially, while the January-September period recorded an on-year increase of 35.23% to NT$10.411 billion.
Unity Opto's third-quarter consolidated revenues fell 16.2% sequentially to NT$1.68 billion, and its January-September sum totaled NT$5.403 billion, rising 0.41% on year.
The companies noted their September sales decreased sequentially mainly because China-based LCD TV vendors were clearing inventories and demand for LED backlight units (BLUs) dropped significantly.
However, Lextar said its BLU shipments for high-end LCD TVs to Japan-based vendors remained steady in September. Lextar added it has begun shipping LED BLUs used in handsets to Japan-based vendors and LED modules used in smartphone flashes to the three largest China-based vendors.
Lextar has also started shipping a new high-power LED module for commercial lighting, coded 3030, to Europe- and China-based vendors. Currently, backlighting and general lighting account for 70% and 30%, respectively, of Lextar's consolidated revenues.
China-based vendors are expected to obtain government subsidies for energy-saving LCD TVs for launching new models for the traditional shopping season ahead of the 2014 Lunar New Year, market analysts indicated.
The year-end shopping season in North America and Europe is also expected to drive up LED BLU demand from TV vendors in the fourth quarter, the analysts said.
