What They Say
Samsung reported profits of $5.84 billion in Q4, up 26.4% on last year, although this was below some analyst estimates. Memory chips were under pressure, but the display segment did well. Sales in displays were $8.9 billion, with profits of $1.57 billion. Mobile display earnings grew sharply QoQ as surging demand from major customers lifted factory utilisation.
In 2021, for the mobile display business, Samsung expects OLED panel demand to rise for high-end models and OLED penetration to increase in mid-range segments, driven by full-blown expansion of the 5G smartphone market alongside a recovery of smartphone demand. It also said that it would promote foldable and slidable displays.
The Mobile Communications Business posted a QoQ decline in profit due to weaker sales and higher marketing spending.
The CE business (Visual Displays + Appliances) saw sales of $12.2 billion and profits of $735 million.
What We Think
We’re trying not to overdo the number of financials, but LGD and Samsung are both key companies to give a sense of the industry. (BR)
