According to market sources, Taiwan LED packaging companyLedtech Electronics has received LED light bar orders for 200 Taiwan convenience stores. Throughout the convenience store chain, over the next 3-4 years, a total of 2,880 refrigerator lighting units will be replace to LED light bars. Ledtech won the first round of orders, while rivals including Coretronic, Zenitron and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology (AOT) are competing to enter the supply stream.

LED International Holdings Ltd. said Sino Boost International Holdings Ltd. has agreed to subscribe for 29.69 million shares in the LED display and lighting company at 1 pence each, for a total consideration of 296,921 pounds. With the subscription, Sino Boost International is boosting its stake to in the AIM-listed company 16.67 percent.

AXT, a manufacturer of compound semiconductor substrates, announced that Robert G. Ochrym, Vice President of Business Development, will present at the American Technology Research 2008 LED Technology Investment Forum at the New York Palace Hotel in New York, NY on Thursday, May 15th, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Ochrym will address the requirements and outlook of gallium arsenide (GaAs) semi-conducting substrates for the LED industry. A copy of his presentation is available on AXT's website, the company noted in a release.

Cree, Inc., a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting retrofit solutions, and semiconductor solutions for backlighting, wireless and power applications, today announced revenue of $125.0 million for its fiscal third quarter ended March 30, 2008. This represents a 5% increase compared to the fiscal second quarter of 2008 and a 38% increase compared to revenue of $90.3 million reported for the third fiscal quarter last year.

Shares of Cree fell in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company released fiscal third quarter earnings and a fourth quarter outlook that failed to meet analysts projections. Durham-based Cree (Nadsaq: CREE), which sells products for light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, said net income was $5.7 million, or 6 cents a share, in the quarter.

Most of us are familiar with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, if for no other reason than that we might have worn a way-cool LED watch back in the 1970s. Well, LEDs have come a long way since then; these days, they represent the next generation of lighting technology that has the likes of General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Philips scrambling to scoop up LED manufacturers.

It's reported that the total revenues of Taiwan LED makers listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) reached NT$5.7 billion (US$177 million) in January, up 1.8% from NT$5.6 billion last December. Downstream packaging makers saw their total revenues reach NT$3.36 billion, up 3% sequentially, while LED chip makers totaled revenues of NT$2.34 billion, up 0.1% sequentially.