January 2019 Passive Electronic Component Monthly Market Research Report

CRL Monthly Review: Passive Electronic Component: Monthly Report: JANUARY 2019 Review

MARKET UPDATE:

• CONTINUED WEAKNESS IN MARKETS PERIPHERAL TO MLCC, BUT MLCC SHORTAGE WORSENING IN PARTS DISCONTINUED BY MURATA, TDK, T-YUDEN AND WALSIN IN 2016, 2017, AND 2018. THIS IS LARGE CASE SIZE MLCC, HIGH VOLTAGE MLCC AND HIGH TEMEPRATURE MLCC TO 125 DEGREES C.

• PRIMARY SOURCES REPORT PRICE INCREASES FOR MLCC IN JANUARY OF 200% TO 300% FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR (125 C MLCC FROM SEMCO FACTORIES IN CHINA AND PHILIPPINES); AS WELL AS AUTO MLCC FROM MURATA

• MLCC SHORTAGE IN HIGH VOLTAGE AND AUTO HIGH TEMP NOW EXPECTED TO PERSIST UNTIL AT LEAST THE SEPTEMBER 2019 QUARTER.

• EXPECT MLCC SHORTAGES TO CREATE SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS IN THE JUNE 2019 QUARTER IN AUTO, INDUSTRIAL AND CONSUMER IOT MARKETS.

• WALSIN ANNOUNCES DISCONTINUATION OF MLCC ARRAYS TO MAKE ROOM FOR MLCC CHIPS IN SHORT SUPPLY IN 2019.

• TANTALUM WEAKNESS IS PRONOUNCED IN JANUARY, BUT EXPECT THIS MARKET TO INCREASE AS WELL IN 2019 DUE TO OVERLAP WITH MLCC

• INCREASED DEMAND FOR RESISTOR NETWORKS SUGGEST MANY OF THESE DESIGNS MAY BECOME OBSOLETE AS WELL.

• THE PRECIOUS METAL RAW MATERIAL PRICE INDEX JUMPS UP AGAIN IN JANUARY 2019 LEAD BY PALLADIUM- KEY ELECTRODE FOR SOME MLCC BME REPLACEMENTS.

• RUTHENIUM PRICE DROPS 1.5% - IMPORTANT INDICATOR- WEAKNESS IN RESISTORS FINALLY CAUSING RUTHENIUM PRICE TO TURN IN THE NEW YEAR. BUT THIS MAY BE SHORT LIVED.

• EXPECT PRICE INCREASES FOR LARGE CASE SIZE RESISTORS SOLD INTO THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR IN 2019