Taiwan's two chipmaking giants yesterday reported big jumps in November revenue amid a continuing recovery in the high-tech industry.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world's largest producer of made-to-order chips, said its revenue last month grew 27 percent compared to the same time last year.
TSMC's revenue last month totaled NT$18.51 billion (US$540.41 million), up from NT$14.58 billion (US$428.82 million) last year, company spokesman Tzeng Jinnhaw (
However, the figure was down 8.8 percent from October's record monthly high of NT$20.30 billion (US$597.05 million).
TSMC was still comfortable with last month's sales.
"The November comparison base, as a result of the Christmas season shopping spree, is too high," Tseng said. But despite the decline, "the upward trend in sales remains."
Sales in the first 11 months this year increased by 22.3 percent to NT$182.94 billion from the same period a year earlier, the company said.
The worldwide chip market will expand by 11.8 percent this year to US$175 billion after growing 2 percent last year, according to researcher Gartner Inc.
Smaller rival United Microelectronics Corp (UMC,
Last month's revenue was also 0.5 percent higher than October's NT$7.67 billion (US$225.58 million).
UMC said revenue for the first 11 months of the year totaled NT$76.51 billion (US$2.25 billion), up 24 percent from NT$61.92 billion (US$1.82 billion) last year.
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