Contract prices for most multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash chips have remained almost unchanged for the first half of January 2010, indicating inventory replenishment by downstream clients has not resumed substantially, . Price changes range from a decrease of 6% to 0%.
Contract prices for mainstream 16Gb and 32Gb MLC chips are flat at US$4.42 and US$7.18, respectively, in the first half of January. Meanwhile, average prices for 8Gb chips have slid 1.5% to US$3.96.
NAND flash suppliers expect demand to start picking up in the second half of January, adding that inventory restocking for Lunar New Year sales will slightly drive up chip prices and stabilize the trend in the short term.