TAIEX closes higher
Taiwan’s share prices closed higher yesterday with the TAIEX index moving up 34.43 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 8,092.03.
The local bourse opened at 8,073.52 and fluctuated between a low of 8,039.41 and a high of 8,094.35 during the day’s trading. Market turnover totaled NT$107.41 billion (US$3.4 billion).
Losers outnumbered gainers 1,553 to 1,481 with 339 remaining unchanged.
Foreign investors and Chinese qualified domestic institutional investors were net buyers of NT$4.54 billion in shares.
Yang Ming Marine sells bonds
Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) said its board approved plans to sell NT$5 billion of five-year secured bonds with an annual interest rate of 1.42 percent, according to a filing to the Taiwan stock exchange yesterday.
The proceeds will be used to refinance domestic unsecured bonds due next year, the statement said.
CHT, Nokia Siemens ink MOU
Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), Taiwan’s largest phone operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nokia Siemens Networks to establish a trial network for long-term evolution (LTE) technology in Taiwan, the Taipei-based operator said in an exchange filing yesterday.
The agreement is valid from yesterday until March 31 next year, it said.
TSMC’s sales beat estimates
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract maker of chips, posted first-quarter sales that beat its own guidance and analyst estimates.
Consolidated revenue for the three months to March 31 was NT$92.2 billion, the Hsinchu-based company said in a statement on its Web site yesterday.
TSMC on Jan. 28 forecast sales of NT$89 billion to NT$91 billion, while analysts expected NT$89.9 billion, according to the mean of 15 estimates compiled by reporters.
Cathay Financial posts Q1 loss
Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控), Taiwan’s largest listed financial services company, posted a first-quarter loss of NT$1.31 billion, or 0.14 per share, after its life insurance arm reported a loss, the Taipei-based company said in an exchange filing yesterday.
Cathay Life Insurance Co (國泰人壽) had a loss of NT$3.99 billion for the three months ended March 31, according to the filing.
7-11 rides strong sales
President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), which runs 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan, yesterday posted 11.4 percent year-on-year rise in first-quarter revenues to NT$26.9 billion, thanks to the strong sales of food, beverages and publications.
Sales last month grew 16.1 percent from a year earlier to NT$9.3 billion, which is the highest ever for March in the company’s history, it said in a statement.
Asustek’s revenues grow
Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), the pioneer maker of netbook computers, yesterday posted first-quarter sales of NT$74.8 billion, a growth of 85.2 percent from the same period of last year, figures posted on its Web site showed.
Revenues last month grew 71 percent to NT$31.7 billion, it said.
Chimei Innolux revenue soars
Chimei Innolux Corp (奇美電子) said yesterday its first-quarter consolidated revenue was NT$68.20 billion, up 46.5 percent from the previous three months.
Shipments of large panels rose 44.1 percent in the first quarter from the previous quarter to 17.77 million units, while shipments of small and medium-sized panels rose 21.7 percent to 44.5 million units, the company said.
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
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RECORD-BREAKING: TSMC’s net profit last quarter beat market expectations by expanding 8.9% and it was the best first-quarter profit in the chipmaker’s history Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which counts Nvidia Corp as a key customer, yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI) server chip revenue is set to more than double this year from last year amid rising demand. The chipmaker expects the growth momentum to continue in the next five years with an annual compound growth rate of 50 percent, TSMC chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家) told investors yesterday. By 2028, AI chips’ contribution to revenue would climb to about 20 percent from a percentage in the low teens, Wei said. “Almost all the AI innovators are working with TSMC to address the
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”