Although NAND flash prices were flat to slightly up in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2017, suppliers grew their revenues by 6.8 percent on average in Q4, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. The smartphone market was the major demand contributor during the peak season, but the traditional off-season is impacting sales downward in the first…
Samsung Electronics, the largest memory device supplier, has toppled Intel from its No. 1 position in the global semiconductor industry thanks to undersupply and higher prices in the memory market in 2017, according to Gartner Inc. However, it will be tough for Samsung to retain its leading position as industry analysts forecast possible oversupply of…
Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) (“Toshiba”), Toshiba Memory Corporation (“TMC”) and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) (“Western Digital”) have entered into a global settlement agreement to resolve their ongoing disputes in litigation and arbitration, strengthen and extend their relationship, and enhance the mutual commitment to their ongoing flash memory collaboration. As part of this agreement, TMC…
Contract price increases for NAND flash started to slow in the third quarter of 2017, ranging between zero to six percent after months of price hikes, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. One memory manufacturer posted a price decline. SK Hynix reported in October that the average selling prices (ASPs) for NAND flash fell…
Verticalization – or the more modern version of it – is in vogue again and its embrace by the biggest and most powerful OEMs is roiling the electronics industry as the opportunities and sizes of markets served by semiconductor makers, component distributors and software developers shrink further, forcing a re-evaluation of their roles, offerings and…
Supply and demand for NAND flash products will be in balance in 2018 as manufacturers migrate to 64- and 72-layer stacking technologies, according to industry players. Tight supply in the NAND flash market since the third quarter of 2016 is attributed to higher memory content in smartphones, a strong server market, and slow technology migrations.…
There is good and bad news for buyers of memory devices. The good news is a deal to acquire Toshiba’s memory business may result in an oversupply of NAND flash in the first half of 2018, easing concerns of tight supply next year. However, cautious production capacity plans by leading DRAM makers means continued tight…
If the planned $18 billion sale of Toshiba Corp.’s flash memory unit to a consortium led by Bain Capital Private Equity, LP survives legal objections and receives regulatory approval, the deal can be expected to result in higher component supplies within the next year, helping to allay OEM fears of tightening purchasing conditions for the…
Toshiba Corp. will struggle to sell its flash memory business without the acquiescence of Western Digital Corp., a fact the Japanese company seemingly ignored today when it signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the conclusion of acquisition talks with a potential buyer by the end of September. Even if Toshiba and the Bain Capital…
Strong demand and rising prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory is driving capital expenditure budgets in 2017. Semiconductor capital spending is forecast to grow between 10 to 20 percent this year. Although memory device manufacturers are investing in both production capacity as well as technology migrations, tight supply of DRAM and NAND flash is…