Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of memory chips and LCD screens, reported on Friday its best ever quarterly net profit on a resurgent memory sector and forecast a strong 2010.

Sharp, Japan's largest maker of liquid-crystal displays, posted a second straight half-year loss because of declining sales of LCD panels. The net loss was 17.7 billion yen (US$196 million) in the six months ended September 30, compared with a profit of 28 billion yen a year earlier.

Sony narrowed its full-year loss forecast, as cost reductions more than offset a stronger yen and lower sales of televisions and cameras. The net loss will probably be 95 billion yen (US$1 billion) in the year ending March 31, compared with an earlier projection for a 120 billion yen loss.

Samsung SDI, the world's second largest maker of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, posted its biggest profit in five years, driven by record shipments and sales of the product and gains from its mobile-display unit. Third-quarter net income rose 48 percent to 87 billion won (US$75 million) from 58.8 billion won a year earlier.

The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation's first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Monday the island has not considered allowing the island's LCD firms to make large panels on the mainland for now, saying it will only cautiously export its technology expertise to China.

The current industry shortage of LCD panels could continue through the middle of next year, the head of a unit at Japan's Sharp said, in a potential move to shore up investor confidence in panel makers.

Consumer electronics maker Panasonic Corp., which already has a big chunk of Japan's home appliance market, is accelerating its push into Europe and India by considering local production in those regions to take advantage of lower costs.