Panel makers are getting a break as TV screen prices look set to hold steady in September after months of declines — good news for display makers like the panel industry, less so for TV brands hoping for cheaper parts.

• TV brands are buying more screens ahead of the year-end shopping season, with third-quarter orders up 15%.
• That extra demand is enough to halt the price slide, and September TV panel prices should flatten out.
• Panel factories also plan to run their lines slower during China's October holiday week, keeping supply tight and prices stable.
• Monitor and laptop screen demand is still weak, but rising costs for parts mean factories won't cut prices anyway.
• Laptop screen orders are the weak spot — down as much as 20% this quarter and likely to fall further, as buyers work through stock they bought early in the year.

Outlook: Prices should hold flat through September, but weak laptop and monitor demand into the fourth quarter keeps the pressure on.