2020/10/14
news briefing 
       According to a survey conducted by the market research agency DIGITIMES, it is estimated that global shipments of notebooks this quarter will reach the levels of the same time last year, with the annual growth rate to have exceeded past levels by almost 20%. The stock level at retail channels in the third quarter remain low and educational bids in Japan are stepping into a mass procurement period.

impact analysis 
     With more people than ever before working from home in the second quarter, global shipments of notebooks have soared past the annual growth rate into the double-digits. As such, the consumption power that was first expected to slow down in the second half of the year has now gradually returned to normal levels, though the performance for the entire year of 2020 appears to be quite mediocre. Nonetheless, when considering statistics from the third quarter so far, strong demands previously generated by the re-opening of schools are being further driven by the need for digital education as the epidemic continues to impact the world, hence a significant boost in demand for learning-related models and devices. With further observation regarding the performance of four major players of Taiwanese notebook manufacturers, Acer, Asus, Quanta, and Compal, their total revenue in July and August grew by 22.9% compared to that of the same period last year. The growth rate is indeed impressive for the third quarter, where previously the peak season was typically not yet reached until the fourth quarter. If this double-digit growth can be sustained in the fourth quarter, the epidemic in 2020 will provide the notebook market, which had been drowning in sales darkness for years, good momentum for growth again. 

    In terms of the output value of Taiwan's PCB, the notebook, as a single user product, is ranked second. As for product competitiveness and the long-term cultivation of the supply chain in the notebook market, the proportion of output value in terms of computer applications can still be maintained at 20-23%, even though market sales have witnessed a flattened curve for a long time due to emerging brands from mainland China. Furthermore, the negative impact on the automotive market has been greatly offset by the promising prospect of sky-rocketing sales for notebook applications in the second quarter of 2020, turning nearly 30% of the output value of products to sustain positive growth. When considering the current situation, the possibility of a decline in terminal demand has become a factor toward the second half of the year. However, if demand for notebooks can be upheld at the high end, it would be a great benefit to the PCB industry of Taiwan.