DRAMeXchange: DRAM prices rebound
Market Intelligence, DRAMeXchange; Esther Lam, DigiTimes.com [Wednesday 21 December 2005]
With growing tight memory supply in the spot market over the week of December 13-20, DRAM pricing rebounded. NAND flash spot prices also showed relative improvement – by remaining flat instead of dropping – except for the 16Gbit segment, which suffered another large sequential drop, according to DRAMeXchange.
Except for 512Mbit DDR2 533 parts, all DRAM spot prices trended upward last week with 512Mbit DDR 400 parts enjoying the largest growth at almost 8%.
DRAMeXchange had observed flat DRAM pricing during the previous week (December 7-13), as module houses started to collect inventory in anticipation of potential gains. Although prices rebounded last week, most traders and distributors continued holding their inventory and the speculation-fuelled demand helped boost prices further.
Supply of efficiently tested (eTT) chips and Hynix Semiconductor-made 512Mbit 64Mbx8 chips were in particular shortage last week, DRAMeXchange noted. In early December, the major Taiwan eTT chip supplier stated it would not sell chips under US$1.85, which stimulated memory buyers to collect available parts in the market quoted below that price. Demand soon spread, boosting average related prices up almost 9% sequentially from US$1.86 to US$2.02.
Encouraged by the upward pricing trends for DDR and DDR2 chips, Samsung ramped up supply of SDRAM chips including SDRAM 1Mx16, 4Mx16 and 8Mx16. However, demand did not pick up significantly and the transaction volume actually fell.
In the NAND flash market, OEMs looking to grab a last batch of orders before Christmas, boosted demand, with the mid-range segments (4Gbit and 8Gbit) recovering the most from the previous week.
However, ample 16Gbit NAND flash supply dragged related spot price down as much as 7.31% to US$73. This price level is even lower than contract quotes that some smaller scale customers obtain.
DRAMeXchange foresees NAND flash spot prices sliding though, as most NAND flash makers and module houses are attempting to lower their inventories by releasing more stock into the spot market. Some chipmakers may even ship unpacked chips in wafer form.
Dec 13-20: Mainstream DDR spot prices (US$)
Dec 13
Dec 14
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 19
Dec 20
Change
256Mb DDR-400
2.00
2.01
2.03
2.09
2.11
2.11
5.50%
256Mb DDR-333
2.24
2.24
2.24
2.25
2.25
2.25
0.45%
512Mb DDR-333
3.84
3.84
3.84
3.94
4.03
4.02
4.69%
512Mb DDR-400
3.85
3.85
3.92
4.09
4.16
4.14
7.53%
512Mb DDR2-533
3.74
3.71
3.71
3.72
3.72
3.72
(0.53%)
512Mb DDR2-677
3.94
3.94
3.94
3.94
3.94
3.94
0.00%
Source: DRAMeXchange, compiled by DigiTimes, 2005.
Dec 13-20: SDRAM average spot prices (US$)
Dec 13
Dec 14
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 19
Dec 20
Change
1Mbitx16 PC-166
0.57
0.57
0.57
0.57
0.57
0.57
0.00%
4Mbitx16 PC-166
0.89
0.89
0.89
0.89
0.89
0.88
(1.12%)
8Mbitx16 PC-133
1.86
1.86
1.86
1.87
1.87
1.86
0.00%
16Mbitx16 PC-133
3.19
3.19
3.19
3.19
3.19
3.20
0.31%
16Mbitx8 PC-133
1.95
1.95
1.95
1.95
1.95
1.95
0.00%
32Mbitx8 PC-133
3.29
3.29
3.29
3.29
3.29
3.29
0.00%
Source: DRAMeXchange, compiled by DigiTimes, 2005.
Dec 13-20: NAND flash average spot prices (US$)
Dec 13
Dec 14
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 19
Dec 20
Change
16Gbit (2Gbitx8)
78.76
77.00
76.00
75.54
74.56
73.00
(7.31%)
8Gbit (1024Mbitx8)
44.70
44.15
43.94
44.00
44.02
44.34
(0.81%)
4Gbit (512Mbitx8)
26.36
26.19
25.97
25.85
25.98
26.2
(0.61%)
2Gbit (256Mbitx8)
14.97
14.77
14.67
14.67
14.76
14.81
(1.07%)
1Gbit (128Mbitx8)
7.72
7.62
7.59
7.49
7.54
7.53
(2.46%)
*Spot price for 16Gbit NAND flash is a new item.
Source: DRAMeXchange, compiled by DigiTimes, 2005.
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