China-based TCL Technology Group has reported consolidated revenues of CNY74.299 billion (US$11.45 billion) and net profit of CNY6.784 billion for the first half of 2021, soaring 153.29% and 461.55% respectively on year.
Of the revenues and profits, CNY40.8 billion and CNY6.61 billion respectively came from panel maker China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), its flagship subsidiary.
CSOT shipped 27.77 million TV-use panels with total display area of 16.99 million square meters in the first half of 2021, respectively growing 20% and 24% on year. The corresponding half-year sales of CNY28.2 billion rose 132% on year.
CSOT currently has the largest global market share for 55-inch TV panels, the second largest for 65- and 75-inch models, and the third largest for 32-inch. For 8K high-end TV panels with a refresh rate of 120Hz, CSOT is the globally largest producer at present.
As significant demand for business-use displays is expected to emerge in the second half of 2021 along with recovery from the pandemic mainly in the US and Europe, CSOT will actively tap the market segments of interactive whiteboards, mosaicked displays and advertising displays.
CSOT shipped 48.99 million small- to medium-size panels with total display area of 800,000 square meters for sales of CNY10.6 billion in the first half of 2021, increasing 25%, 51% and 45% respectively on year.
In the first half of 2021, CSOT recorded the largest global market share for panels used in tablets, the second largest for panels used in high-end gaming LCD monitors and notebooks, and the fourth largest for LTPS panels used in smartphones.
Currently, CSOT has two 8.5G production lines for TFT-LCD panels, a 6G line for LTPS TFT-LCD panels and a 6G line for LTPS-AMOLED panels, and an 11G for high-resolution TFT-LCD/AMOLED panels. The company will add four new production lines by the end of 2024.
