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:
Valiant plans to spin-off and list its OLED production subsidiary, Yantai Gem Chemicals
China-based Valiant announced plans to spin-off its OLED production subsidiary, Yantai Gem Chemicals.
Yantai Gem Chemicals was established in 2005, and it produces intermediate materials for OLED panels (and other applications). If Valiant is successful in its plan, Yantai Gem will list in Shanghai's stock exchange. Following the spin-off, it will become an independent company, while Valiant will remain the major shareholder.
Everdisplay reports an increased financial loss in the first half of 2023 as demand for OLED displays continues to be weak
China-based AMOLED producer Everdisplay (EDO) reported its financial results for the first half of 2023. The company's income was 1.373 billion yuan ($189 million USD), a decrease of 23.4% from the first half of 2022. The company's loss was 1.296 billion yuan ($178 million USD), an increase of 173% from 2022.
Everdisplay attributes its loss to the global economic recession that results in weak demand for consumer electronics, and also to the overcapacity in the industry which leads to aggressive pricing by OLED makers. In addition to the market conditions, Everdisplay's interest expenses has increased and exchange rate fluctuations results in more losses.
UDC reported its financial results for Q2 2023
Universal Display Corporation announced its financial results for Q2 2023, with revenues of $147 million, an operating profit of $59 million, and a net income of $50 million.
UDC says it is still on track to introduce its blue phosphorescent emitter into the commercial market in 2024.
LGD reports its financial results for Q2 2023, is on track in its 6-Gen line, but delays plans for an 8-Gen laptop OLED line
LG Display reported its financial results for Q2 2023, with revenues of 4.74 trillion Won ($3.7 billion USD) - up 7% from last quarter, and an operating loss of 881 billion Won ($690 million USD). LGD says that demand for display panels increased during the quarter.
LGD is on track to begin mass production of medium-sized panels in the first half of 2024, building a new 6-Gen production line, that is reportedly aimed to supply for Apple's iPad Pro, the first Apple tablet to sport an AMOLED display.
Tianma, BOE and Visionox report their latest financial results as profits decline, but demand for OLED panels increases
Three display makers in China (BOE, Tianma and Visionox) reported their preliminary financial results for the first half of 2023. It seems as if all companies are facing a sluggish economy and lower demand for displays - but the OLED business is actually seeing increased demand.
We'll start with BOE, that expects an operating profit of around 700-800 million Yuan ($97-110 million USD) in the first half of 2023, a decrease of around 90% from last year. BOE says that it is starting to see demand increasing as the year progresses.
Samsung Electronics said to order the first WOLED panels from LGD earlier this month
According to recent reports, LG and Samsung finally officially signed a WOLED TV panel supply agreement, as Samsung Electronics plan to start producing OLED TVs based on LGD WOLED panels.
According to recent reports from Korea, Samsung Electronics placed the first order for WOLED panels (77-inch and 83-inch) from LGD earlier this month. This was a small order, used by Samsung to develop the first OLED TV, which Samsung aims to launch later in 2023. It seems the two companies haven't yet finalized all the details of their agreement.
JDI announced it will acquire JOLED IP and some of its employees, but will not acquire its production facilities and technology
A few months ago we reported that Japan-based inkjet printing OLED developer JOLED has filed for bankruptcy, and that Japan Display (JDI) will take over JOLED's technology and operations. JDI released an official statement regarding JOLED and its plans for the future.
So indeed on March 7 2023, JDI signed a basic agreement to support JOLED. Since then the two companies held 'extensive discussions', following which JDI decided to form a subsidiary company called 'JDI Design and Development' or JDIDD, that will acquire JOLED’s OLED technology development business and all related operations.
Samsung Display to acquire OLED microdisplay developer eMagin for $218 million
Samsung Display is acquiring US-based OLED microdisplay developer eMagin, for $218 million in cash. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 10% to eMagin’s closing stock price n May 16, 2023.
In 2022, Samsung Display confirmed it is developing OLED microdisplays, and the company admitted it is still at an early stage of development. Samsung's plan is to start mass production by 2024 or 2025. In October 2022 we reported that SDC is interesting in eMagin's technology and indeed now this news confirms the fact. It seems as if SDC's first generation panels will use a color-filter design, but Samsung's main interest in eMagin is likely its direct-emission technology, or dPd, which will likely be adopted in later generation panels.
eMagin reported revenues of $6.6 million for Q1 2023
OLED microdisplay maker eMagin reported its financial results for Q1 2023, with revenues of $6.6 million (a decrease of 11% from last year). Net loss for the quarter was $2.6 million, down from an income of $0.1 million in Q1 2022. At the end of the quarter, eMagin had cash and equivalents of $3.8 million.
eMagin says that the decrease in revenues is mostly attributed to late deliveries resulting from unexpected production downtime at one of the company's legacy tools and the timing of military orders. The company's total sales backlog remained at $16.0 million, comparable to the end of Q4 2022.
eMagin demonstrates a 15,000 nits single-stack full-color OLED microdisplay
eMagin announced that it developed (and demonstrated) a 15,000 nits WUXGA (1920x1200) full-color OLED microdisplay, setting a new world record (surpassing eMagin's own 10,000 nits record from 2021).
This new microdisplay was deposited using the company's direct-patterning (dPd) technology, which means that there are no color filters. This is a single-stack device, and eMagin says that in the future it could use a tandem architecture to improve the performance further.
