AUO revenue grows slightly in July

AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) saw revenues push slightly higher in July as it struggles to reverse the negative 9.3 percent net operating margin it posted in the second quarter, the company reported Tuesday. 

AUO said its consolidated revenue was NT$32.74 billion (US$1.13 billion) in July, up 4.7 percent from June but down 15.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. 

During the first seven months of 2011, the company had sales of NT$224 billion, down 19.7 percent from the NT$279 billion in sales it posted from January to July 2010. 

The company's shipments of large-sized panels, including those used in desktop monitors, notebook PCs, and LCD TVs, totaled 9.81 million units in July, an increase of 6.6 percent from the previous month. 

July shipments of small-and-medium-sized panels, however, fell 5.8 percent from June to 15.58 million units. 

Though revenues were slightly higher in July, it was unclear if they would be enough to help AUO reverse its slumping profit picture. 

The company said at an investor conference on July 27 that it would cut its annual capital expenditures in 2011 from the previous forecast of NT$95 billion to less than NT$70 billion and would also strictly control its inventory levels.