Generally, LED industry will face another tough year in 2013, projected B.J. Lee, chairman of Epistar, at a shareholders’ conference held late September. He also pointed out that this will hamper the chip maker’s revenue to grow at least until 2014 and most of the manufacturers will maintain 2013 revenues at their 2012 levels at the best.
 
Overcapacity still haunts LED backlight suppliers
 
Lee felt that overcapacity will still haunt LED backlight suppliers into 2013, at which time he estimated LED penetration on backlight market would hit peak.
 
LED’s lighting applications will not expand further until 2014
 
He projected LED’s lighting applications will not expand further until 2014 and will be comparable to backlight applications in 2015 in terms of market share. He estimated consumption volume of LED light bulbs would increase at 70% year on year over the next three years. But price will drop at annual rate of 40%, confining industrial revenue growth at 20-30% range.
 
Bright outlook for the second half of 2012
 
For the second half of 2012, the company has a bright outlook. In July and August respectively, the company had high revenue of approximately US$56 million mostly thanks to orders built up for mainland China’s weeklong holidays observed for the Oct. 1 National Day. October is normally the month for dealing with orders replenished for Chinese New Year shopping season.
 
Full acquisition of Huga Optotech
 
In response to shareholders’ backlash about the company’s full acquisition of the money-losing Huga Optotech Inc. Lee pointed out that Huga is expected to break even in Q3 2013. The acquisition, he stressed, will make up for Epistar’s capacity shortage.