1Q10 Sales Ranking of Branded NAND Flash IC Makers

As NAND Flash market waited for the Apple’s iPad launch details released before mid-March, downstream NAND Flash customers just properly restocked some inventory required before & after Chinese Lunar New Year holiday period. Nevertheless, NAND Flash suppliers appropriately adjusted & controlled 1Q10 output growth to ease the seasonality effect in order to stabilize the pricing trend & profitability. Moreover, NAND Flash vendors also benefited from relatively stable OEM orders from some electronic system product customers to buffer the slow-season impact of memory card clients in 1Q10.

However, increasing TLC white-box memory card supply and quarter-end effect in March both weakened the pricing uptrend momentum and procurement demand in 1Q10. The mixed market factors & wait-and-see sentiment posed the tug-of-war status between buyers and suppliers so that NAND Flash price demonstrated vibrationally softening trend in 1Q10. Therefore, branded NAND Flash makers’ ASP mildly declined about 5% QoQ while the total bit shipment increased about 15% QoQ in 1Q10.  Branded NAND Flash makers' total sales reported US$4.363bn in 1Q10, up 11.6% QoQ from US$3.91 bn in 4Q09.

Note 1: 4Q09 USD/JPY=1:89.9, USD/KRW= 1:1166.7
Note 2: 1Q10 USD/JPY= 1:90.7, USD/KRW= 1:1144

According to the 1Q10 sales ranking of branded NAND Flash makers, Samsung remains its leadership place with 39.2% market share and records US$1.71bn revenue, followed by Toshiba with 34.4% market share and US$1.501bn revenue. Micron ranks No.3 with 9.1% market share and US$397m revenue while Hynix takes the No.4 with US$345m revenue. Intel and Numonyx grab No.5 and No.6 with sales of US$280m and US$130m respectively.

Benefited from the replenishment demand from mobile phone customers to ease the seasonality effect, Samsung demonstrated bit shipment boost while ASP decline about 10% QoQ in 1Q10. Samsung’s sales were US$1.71bn with 39.2% market share in 1Q10.

Benefited from the steady OEM orders from system product customers, Toshiba’s bit shipment sustained to increase in 1Q10. Toshiba’s sales grew 18.5% QoQ to US$1.501bn with 34.4% market share in 1Q10.

Thanks for the stable OEM orders from system product customers to ease the slow-season effect, Micron showed the slight shipment increase and ASP decline in 1Q10. Micron’s sales roughly stayed flat to report US$397m with market share of 9.1% in 1Q10. ; Owing to slow season effect, Intel’s bit shipment & ASP roughly kept stable in 1Q10. Intel’s sales recorded US$280m with market share of 6.4% in 1Q10.

Suffered from the slow season effect, Hynix’s bit shipment stayed flat while ASP declined 8% QoQ in 1Q10. Hynix’s sales slightly reduced 9.2% QoQ to US$345m in 1Q10 while market share is 7.9%. Benefited from steady demand from mobile phone customers, Numonyx showed shipment boost and stable ASP in 1Q10. Numonyx’s sales boosted 18.2% QoQ to US$130m with market share of 3% in 1Q10.