Major Taiwan-based DRAM chipmakers including Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC), Nanya Technology and Inotera Memories are likely to see their February 2010 revenues decrease sequentially mainly due to fewer working days, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report citing market watcher estimates.
The paper also indicated the DRAM producers may earn low profits in the first quarter, or probably slip back into the red.
Both PSC and Nanya returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2009 following losses over the previous 10 quarters, while Inotera Memories posted its first profits in nine quarters. PSC earned NT$1.6 billion (US$50 million) in the quarter, Nanya NT$211 million and Inotera NT$475 million.
In other news, spot prices for 1Gb DDR2 memory averaged US$2.38 during the afternoon trading session today (February 22), compared to US$1.20 on the first trading day after the Lunar New Year holiday last year (February 2, 2009). The 1Gb DDR3 segment was priced at US$2.88, having remained stable during the week-long break.