DRAM spot prices finally stabilize, but contract rates begin to tumble
Semiconductor Business News
(05/17/02 20:28 p.m. EST)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- There always seems to be a problem in the memory market these days. For example, the spot market for DRAMs were stable this week, but contract prices are beginning to tumble at an alarming rate.
But this week's DRAM picture is a major improvement over the disaster last week. After bullish predications from vendors and analysts earlier this year, the DRAM market last week sunk to a new and disturbing low in 2002. Last week, the price for a 128-megabit SDRAM product on the spot market fell by up to 46.8%, according to the DRAMeXchange.COM Web site (see May 10 story ).
Last Friday, the average selling price (ASP) for a 128-megabit SDRAM on the spot market was only $2.03, according to the Web site. This week, the ASP for a 128-Mbit SDRAM on the spot market jumped from $2.09 on Monday, to $2.25, according to the Web site.
Spot prices for 256-Mbit SDRAMs, 128-Mbit double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAMs, and 256-Mbit DDR SDRAMs were also stable on the spot market this week.
But the biggest shock is an apparent drop in contract prices. In the first half of May, the average contract price for a 128-Mbit SDRAM was about $3.75 at the low end, and $4.45 at the high point, according to the Web site.
Today, however, the average contract price for these products tumbled by 13.33% to $3.25 at the low end, and by 10.11% to $4.00 at the high end, according to the Web site. |
