TAIPEI: DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp yesterday said its received its highest monthly revenue of the year last month on the back of continuing demand.
Revenue climbed 6.46 percent to NT$3.46 billion (US$110.15 million) from July’s NT$3.25 billion, the chipmaker said, attributing the growth to a price rebound of 3 percent and a 5 percent increase in shipments.
However, the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar last month against the US dollar limited potential revenue by 1.6 percent, the company said.
“Now we are more optimistic… Overall, [market demand] is trending up,” Nanya assistant vice president Joseph Wu said by telephone. “As global memory chipmakers allocate more capacity for the memory chips used in mobile phones, the market looks quite healthy.”
In July, Nanya said the optimal scenario would be stable prices in the current quarter.
Market researcher TrendForce Corp expects DRAM price hikes to extend into the next quarter, given increasing demand during the industry’s traditional peak season.
The Taipei-based researcher predicted DRAM contract prices would jump more than 10 percent sequentially next quarter, buoyed by recovering demand for computers and continued robust demand for smartphones and servers.
Mobile memory chipmakers are benefiting from stronger-than-expected smartphone demand from China and the upcoming launch of Apple Inc’s next-generation iPhone, TrendForce research director Avril Wu said in a report released yesterday.
Some of China’s major smartphone brands are negotiating with DRAM manufacturers to supply chips at prices at least 10 percent higher next quarter than this quarter, which would boost DRAM chip supplier’s profitability, Avril Wu said.
Joseph Wu yesterday declined to comment on TrendForce’s price forecast.
TrendForce also predicted that supply and demand of DRAM chips would remain healthy during the upcoming year.
However, Inotera Memories Inc, a DRAM venture between Nanya and Micron Technology Inc, yesterday posted revenue for last month of NT$4.16 billion, a 5.88 percent decline from July’s NT$4.42 billion.
