OLED is a display technology that enables thin, efficient, flexible and bright displays, TVs and lighting devices. OLED displays offer the world's best image quality - and enable flexible, foldable and rollable displays (see more here - What is OLED?).
The OLED market is already a multi-billion dollar market, led by Samsung, LG Display, BOE and others. It is estimated that OLED displays generated around $40 billion in revenues in 2021 and the market is expected to continue growing in the future.
OLED stocks
There are dozens of companies developing and producing OLEDs, from display makers such as Samsung, LG and BOE to smaller R&D startups and IP companies.
For public investors interested in the OLED market, there are several good options, includingL
- Universal Display Corporation: UDC is an OLED pioneer, and holds many of the key patents in the industry (mostly around efficient phosphorescent OLED emitters). Virtually all AMOLED displays on the market adopt UDC's PHOLED materials, and the company experienced very fast growth in revenue in recent years. Universal Display's stock ticker is OLED, you can see the OLED share price here.
- eMagin: eMagin is an OLED microdisplay pioneer, and has been developing and producing such displays for many years, focusing on the defense market and recently also on the consumer VR/AR market. eMagin's stock ticker at the NYSE is EMAN.
- OLED display makers: OLED display makers can be a good investment opportunity - especially companies that have a focus on OLED displays - such as Samsung Display (held by Samsung Electronics), LG display, Visionox, BOE Display and more.
- OLED equipment makers: There are several public equipment companies (for example Aixtron, or Coherent) that offer OLED production systems. These companies could be a good investment opportunity to investors who believes a new wave of OLED capacity expansion is near.
For private investors who want to find early-stage startups, we offer the OLED crowdfunding arena, a new and innovative service!
The latest OLED stock news:
eMagin reported its financial results for Q4 2022
OLED microdisplay maker eMagin reported its financial results for Q4 2022, with another strong quarter. The company's revenues reached $8.4 million, up 17% from last year. This is the fifth consecutive quarter in which eMagin achieved year-over-year revenue growth. At the end of the quarter, eMagin had $4.3 million in cash and equivalents.
For the full year 2022, eMagin reported revenues of $30.5 million (up 17% from 2021) and an income (EBITDA) of $2.2 million.
Universal Display reports its Q4 2022 financial results
Universal Display Corporation reported its financial results for Q4 2022, with revenues of $169 million and a net income of $65 million. Looking at 2022 as a whole, revenues reached $617 million (up 11% from 2021) while net income was $210 million, up 14% from 2021. The company ended 2022 with $826 in cash and equivalents.
The company expects the OLED industry to begin a new investment cycle in 2024, but in the near term the company sees a "temporary backdrop", and so expects its 2023 revenues to be in the range of $550 million to $600 million.
Magnachip reports its Q4 2022 financial results, revenues are down due to supply shortages
OLED driver IC developer MagnaChip announced its financial results for Q4 2022, with revenues of $61 million, down 44.7% compared to Q4 2021, primarily due to severe 28nm wafer shortages.
In full-year 2022, the company reports revenues of $337.7 million, down 28.8% from 2021. The company does report, however, taht it signed a Tier-1 panel customer outside of Korea, and it qualified two new foundries to strengthen its supply chain. During the last quarter, MagnaChip successfully qualified two OLED projects with its two leading panel customers and expect to begin shipping at the end of this quarter.
Samsungs reports its Q4 2022 financial results, OLED sales declined as demand for smartphones fell
Samsung Electronics reported its financial results for Q4 2022, with revenues of $57.3 billion, and an operating profit of $3.5 billion.
Samsung says that the "business environment deteriorated significantly in the fourth quarter due to weak demand amid a global economic slowdown". SDC's mobile AMOLED panel business earning declined, as demand for smartphones fell, but its large-area panel business seen a smaller loss as it is increasing sales of QD-OLED panels.
LG Display reports a wide loss in Q4 2022 as demand for displays is low
LG Display reports its financial results for Q4 2022, with an operating loss of around $710 million USD (down from a profit of $350 million in Q4 2021). The company says that high inflation and interest rates reduce consumer demand and it sees weak demand and falling prices for both OLED and LCD displays.
LGD says that LCD prices are at an all time low, and the company will accelerate its plans to wind-down its LCD production. During the quarter, the portion of OLED displays out of its total revenues have risen over 50% for the first time. LG Display will also adjust its utilization rate at its OLED TV factories to meet the lower demand.
The Korean Government approves OLEDs as a national strategic technology to encourage more investments
As we reported a few days ago, The Korean government has officially designated five display technologies as "national strategic technologies", which gives tax breaks to display makers and developers.
The five display technologies include three specific display technologies - AMOLED, microLEDs and QD displays, in addition to deposition technologies materials and TFT equipment and materials. As strategic technologies, the government gives generous (30-50%, depending on the company size) tax credits for R&D and 8-16% tax credits for building production lines for materials, equipment or displays. The government is also considering increasing the tax credits for production lines up to 25%.
eMagin reported its preliminary Q4 2022 financial results
OLED microdisplay maker eMagin reported its preliminary financial results for Q4 2022 - the company expects revenues to be in the range of $8.1-8.3 million, up from $7.2 million in Q4 2021. The company says this was a positive quarter with strong bookings. The company's open order backlog at the end of 2022 was $16.7 million.
eMagin says that this was its fifth consecutive quarter in which it achieved year-over-year growth in product revenue. The company was cashflow positive in the quarter and now has $4.2 million in cash and equivalents. eMagin expects the delivery of an advanced, production-capable, dPd organic deposition tool in the second quarter of 2023.
Kopin sort of spins-off its consumer OLED microdisplay business unit to Lightning Silicon Technology
Kopin Corporation announced that it is sort-of spinning-off its OLED business unit. Some of Kopin's executive launched a new company called Lightning Silicon Technology, and Kopin licensed its technology to the company, and will also receive a 20% stake.
Lightning Silicon will focus on developing and supplying OLED microdisplays to the consumer AR and VR markets, and will produce its displays at China-based Lakeside Optoelectronics.
eMagin announced a $1.7 million OLED microdisplay order for F-35 helmets mounted displays
OLED microdisplay maker eMagin announced that it has received an order of approximately $1.7 million for high-brightness OLED microdisplays from Collins Aerospace for its F-35 Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS).
eMagin says that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning is the world’s most advanced jet fighter and is designed to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in any weather conditions, day or night, in both air-superiority and strike missions. The Helmet Mounted Display System is a critical part of the F-35's human-machine interface.
Universal Display and Samsung Display sign a long-term material supply agreement
Universal Display announced that it has signed long-term OLED material supply and license agreements with Samsung Display.
These new agreements mean that UDC will continue and supply its PHOLED OLED emitter materials to Samsung Display. The agreements are scheduled to run through December 31, 2027, and may be extended for an additional two-year period. Financial terms of the agreements have not been disclosed.
