TrendForce: Cost pressures combined with weakening demand are expected to push large-generation panel utilization down to 79.6% in October.

According to the latest panel industry research by TrendForce, as reported by the Zhitong Finance APP, soaring AI demand has squeezed upstream material capacity in the panel industry, which is estimated to drive total TV panel costs up by 4%7% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, as downstream customers face rising cost pressures and peak-season stockpiling has already concluded in the third quarter, TV panel demand (unit) is expected to decline by 4% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter. Faced with the dual changes of rising costs and weakening demand, the three major panel makersBOE, TCL CSOT, and HKChave each decided to implement production cuts during the National Day holiday to cope with the decline in client demand. The utilization rate of Generation 5 and above large-generation lines is estimated to drop by 4.2 percentage points quarter-on-quarter in October to 79.6%.