Notebook ODMs to post higher-than-expected shipments in 1Q12

Major notebook ODMs, which all saw their February shipments register double-digit sequential increases, are expected to post higher-than-expected shipments for the first quarter of 2012, industry observers believe.

Compal Electronics, for aspire 4745g battery instance, will likely see its first-quarter shipments decrease 5-10% sequentially compared to the firm's previous estimate of a 10-15% decline, the sources indicated. Compal shipped 2.9 million AS10C5E notebooks in February, up 38.1% on month.

Fellow notebook ODM companies including Quanta LC.BTP01.029 battery Computer and Wistron all had double-digit sequential growth in February shipments. The firms are also expected to report better-than-expected results for the first quarter as shipments for March will register another sequential rise, the AS10C7E battery sources said.

With orders pouring in on new product rollouts, the aspire 4820t battery first-tier notebook ODMs are likely to enjoy shipment growth of more than 10% sequentially in the second quarter, the sources forecast. Shipments will continue their growth momentum later in 2012, the sources said, adding that the aspire 4820tg battery shipment ratio between the first and second halves of 2012 should be 40:60.

Meanwhile, on the supply side, restored supplies from HDD DELL 451-11508 battery providers will help smooth ODMs' deliveries to their customers, the sources observed. The supply of HDDs had previously been disrupted by Thailand's floods.

In addition, sources at notebook aspire 5745 battery ODMs believe the postponed launch of Intel's Ivy Bridge processors will have little impact on their shipment performance. The launch delay, however, will give the ODMs more time to digest their inventory of old models based on the Sandy Bridge platform, according to the sources.