Lextar Electronics is expected to see gross margin rise from 6.82% for the first quarter of 2013 to 13-14% for the second due to growing orders for LED backlight units used in TV, monitor, tablet and smartphone panels, according to market analysts.
Lextar will see utilization rates increase from below 60% in the first quarter of 2013 to 70-80% in the second, and second-quarter consolidated revenues will grow 30-40% sequentially, the sources said.
Since China-based smartphone and tablet vendors will become new clients, and large-volume shipments of LED BLUs for use in Ultra HD TV panels will begin in the second half of 2013, Lextar is expected to see consolidated revenues for the second half rise over 30% from the first half, the sources indicated.
For LED lighting, Lextar is expected to obtain orders for high-end LED light tubes from Japan-based vendors, including 8-foot T8 models with luminous efficiency of over 110lm/W, the sources pointed out. Lextar is expected to see revenues from LED lighting in 2013 increasing 10-15% on year, and those from LED backlight by 20%, the sources noted.
Lextar on May 21 released its financial report for the first quarter of 2013, recording consolidated revenues of NT$2.888 billion (US$96.9 million), gross margin of 6.82%, net operating loss of NT$53 million, net profit of NT$437 million and net EPS of NT$0.92.
