AUO (AU Optronics) projected that demand for LCD panels (by surface area) will grow 4-6% while supply will rise by 5-7% this year, indicating a mild oversupply in the industry, reported the Economic Daily News on January 29. The company cautioned that while inventories of LCD TVs and monitors are at a normal level, notebook PC stocks are relatively high—exceeding the normal level by five to six weeks. In terms of panel surface area, AUO estimates that TV panel will run up 5% in 2016 thanks to the growing needs for larger TV screen; PC panel will continue to decline but by less than 5% due to a more stable enterprise market; smartphone panel will see a weaker growth of 8% as the worldwide market is getting saturated.