EnGlobal PC shipments fell 3.9% on a year earlier in the third quarter, with Chinese exports dropping 11.8% in October, as discussed in Panjiva research of December 6. Part of the reason has been weaker U.S. shipments. U.S. computer imports fell 8.7% on a year earlier in October to 13.98 million units, Panjiva data shows, the worst performance for the month since 2011.
This was driven by a 10.6% drop in laptop shipments, which is surprising given the launch of Apple’s new MacBook line at the end of the month and Microsoft’s refreshed Surface series earlier in the month. The average value of laptops increased only modestly, by 1.1% to $303 per unit, based on the customs value of imports for the month.
All-in-one machines continued to outperform rising 6.4% vs. a 1.6% decline in shipments of stand-alone PCs. In the business segment servers continued to grow for a ninth straight month at 1.6%. Imports for November across all products may be slightly better, with seaborne shipments rising 3.6% on a year earlier.
Source: Panjiva
Among the major brands, HP Inc. has been growing the most quickly, with shipments rising 289% in October and a further 120% in November. This suggests a strong start to the company’s new fiscal year after it beat analyst expectations for sales in the fourth quarter.
Dell may see a similar trend after global product revenues expanded 16% in the fiscal third quarter. Its imports of PCs expanded 14.6% in November after a 34.4% contraction in October. Lenovo saw 93.2% growth in October on a year earlier, though this has subsequently reversed to a 40.0% drop in November. That would suggest consumer interest in its Yoga series has plateaued after the initial launch in August.
Source: Panjiva
