Many Taiwan-based passive component makers have posted significant sequential increases in March consolidated revenues, bolstered by strong shipments of MLCCs, resistors, inductors and capacitors for servers, business-use PCs and notebooks badly needed to support remote work, learning, and video streaming services amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry sources.
Yageo, Walsin Technology, Chilisin Electronics and Holy Stone have reported clear order visibility for 5G base station, networking and industrial control segments through mid second-quarter 2020, and expect overall demand from the IT sector to rebound mildly in the short term. But their shipment prospect for the third quarter remains unclear due to high uncertainty, the sources said.
Top MLCC supplier Yageo saw its consolidated revenues for March 2020 surge 50.4% on month and 14.8% on year to NT$4.035 billion (US$134.03 million) due partly to significant capacity utilization pickup at its plants in China and partly to robust shipments to clients. But the firm’s first-quarter revenues only edged up 0.2% sequentially and dipped 12.0% on year to NT$10.02 billion.
Walsin’s March revenues rose 27.88% sequentially to NT$2.445 billion on strong demand for PC applications and resumption of normal production and shipments. But its first-quarter revenues plunged 23.28% on year to NT$6.374 billion despite showing only a slight sequential fall.
Bolstered by brisk shipments to notebook, server and network equipment clients, inductor makers Chilisin Electronics and affiliates Mag.Layers Scientific Technics and Magic Technology saw their combined March revenues soar 45.64% sequentially and 10.22% on year to NT$1.401 billion, but their first-quarter revenues contracted 2.07% on year to NT$3.62 billion.
Holy Stone’s March revenues spiked 52.94% on month and 10.17% on year to NT$1.26 billion, and first-quarter revenues expanded 4.39% on year reaching NT$3.165 billion. The company has seen robust demand for MLCCs from clients in the networking and industrial control segments seeking to replenish inventory, with order visibility clear through May.
Aluminum electrolytic capacitor maker Kaimei Electronic, an affiliate of Yageo, saw March revenues shoot up 70.9% to NT$366 million as it was busy fulfilling increased orders after resuming normal production in the month.