With seasonality boosting end-market demand, Taiwan-based MCU and other consumer IC suppliers are poised to see revenues increase starting March, according to industry sources.

Taiwanese MCU suppliers including Holtek, Elan Microelectronics, Sonix Technology, Hycon Technology, Nuvoton, Generalplus and Nyquest Technology are expected to report increases in revenues in the second quarter, the sources noted.

With demand from clients rising, many MCU suppliers have raised their quotes by 15-20%, while some have stopped accepting new orders due to insufficient capacity, said the sources, adding that the short supply is unlikely to ease in the short term.

Some Taiwan-based audio IC designers also pointed out that clients usually begin to replenish components inventory in the second quarter for shipments to be delivered in the third quarter.

As a result, Taiwanese consumer IC suppliers should see their revenues increase more than 30% sequentially in the second quarter and reach the peak of 2021 in June or July. Their third-quarter sales are expected to stay flat or drop slightly from a quarter ago, the audio IC designers added.

The MCU and IC suppliers are mostly expected to see over 10% increases in their revenues and profits in 2021.

By DIGITIMES