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Aug 17
E Ink cuts 2026 outlook as signage gains momentum

E Ink has lowered its 2026 revenue growth outlook after rising memory prices hit demand for consumer electronics, but the company said IoT and e-paper signage businesses remain strong. Full-year revenue growth is now expected at 10-15%, down from an earlier forecast of 20-25%, while consumer electronics revenue could fall by double digits.

LED packaging manufacturer Everlight Electronics stated that due to higher raw material costs, gross margin fell to 24.16% in the second quarter of 2026, down 7.93pp year-over-year and 0.5pp from the first quarter, mainly due to fluctuations in the Chinese yuan exchange rate.

MicroLED remains a promising next-generation display technology, but industry analysts say its commercial breakthrough still hinges on thin-film transistor (TFT) technology and the participation of South Korean panel makers Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD). Yet SDC is reportedly taking a cautious stance on microLED TV applications.

Driven by a recovery across smartphone, notebook, industrial control, and automotive applications, ITH Corporation, the parent company of Ili Technology (Ilitek), posted solid revenue results in the second quarter of 2026. However, its gross margin took a hit of about 8.1 percentage points after it recognized a one-time liability provision because wafer starts fell short of volumes reserved under an agreement with a supplier.

With global TV demand slowing and panel prices continuing to fall, display makers are facing intensifying profit pressure. Analysts say the industry's bottleneck extends beyond low-priced Chinese competition and reflects a broader reshaping of the consumer electronics value chain, with OLED's next growth phase likely to depend on lower manufacturing costs and wider adoption in IT devices.

Electronic paper, once a niche technology overlooked by the display industry, is gaining momentum as E Ink continues to expand its applications from early e-book readers into electronic shelf labels (ESL). Riding the global retail digitalization wave, the technology is now driving rapid market growth.

Laster Tech, a maker of LED headlamp modules, narrowed its loss in the second quarter of 2026 as order visibility improved and new vehicle programs moved into mass production. The Taiwan-based supplier said first-half revenue reached NT$3.614 billion, with a net loss of NT$103 million and a loss per share of NT$0.86.
Taiwanese panel makers broadly reported weaker July revenue as some customers pulled in shipments in advance in the first half of the year and memory price increases weighed on consumer electronics demand. AUO, Innolux and Hannstar Display all posted month-over-month and year-over-year declines, while Giantplus Technology bucked the trend.
Apple has asked Samsung Display and LG Display to sharply reduce OLED panel prices for the iPhone 18 as it works to offset rising production costs, according to South Korean media reports. The price pressure is intensifying competition among panel makers, with cost control becoming increasingly important alongside technology in supplier negotiations.

Novatek, a Taiwan-based display driver integrated circuit (DDI) supplier, said at its August 6 investor conference that second-quarter 2026 revenue and gross margin exceeded expectations, supported by stronger customer orders across all three major product lines and a sharp sequential increase in profit.

Samsung Electronics is expected to double its purchases of TV LCD panels from BOE in 2026 while cutting orders from CSOT, as Samsung and LG Electronics rebalance their supplier mixes in an LCD market increasingly dominated by Chinese panel makers.

Apple's new product shipments are likely to be delayed, with supply chain sources saying a model originally slated for shipment in the fourth quarter of 2026 may slip to the first quarter of 2027. Apple is also expected to keep rolling out new OLED devices from late 2026 into early 2027.