Sharp, which makes Aquos brand LCD TVs, initially played down the urgency of selling 3D TVs, questioning whether consumers wanted them. But with 3D growing hotter not only with Hollywood releases but also flat-panel TVs for living rooms, Sharp is switching gears.

LG Group plans to invest 20 trillion won by 2020 to cut the group's greenhouse-gas emissions and develop energy-saving products. The investment will help reduce emissions by 50 million metric tons a year by 2020.

"Our checks in Asia suggest the bear case of competitive pressure on Cree likely takes longer to develop," he writes. "We note that many LED chip makers in Korea, Taiwan and Japan continue to out-source high-power LEDs from Cree, as their in-house yields on lighting-class LEDs are not sufficiently high." Zaman says that Cree and Nichia "continue to split the market for lighting-class LEDs for the near term."

Samsung Electronics has estimated first-quarter operating profits at 4.1-4.5 trillion won (US$4 billion), which might top its record of 4.2 trillion won for the third quarter of 2009. Samsung will explain the strong first quarter performance when it releases results at the end of this month.

Sony said on Wednesday it would sell a small and mid-size TFT liquid crystal display facility to Kyocera in June, in a bid to improve the efficiency of its LCD business.