TAIEX stages rebound
The TAIEX staged a technical rebound yesterday following sell-offs in the previous session, with buying focusing on bellwether tech stocks, dealers said.
However, turnover shrank as many investors stayed on the sidelines amid lingering concerns over the weakening US economy and the debt crisis in the eurozone, they said.
The index closed up 161.82 points, or 2.2 percent, at the day’s high of 7,529.01, off an early low of 7,428.70, on turnover of NT$91.49 billion (US$3.14 billion).
Chunghwa Picture’s sales up
Panel maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (華映) yesterday reported net sales of NT$5.17 billion last month, up 10 percent month-on-month, but down 22.2 percent year-on-year.
Net sales from its panel business units hit NT$4.88 billion last month, up 12 percent from July, but down 18.6 percent from the same month last year, according to a statement.
Of that, shipments of large-sized panels were up 9.7 percent month-on-month, but down 42.2 percent from last year.
Shipments of small and medium-sized panels climbed 22 percent from a month earlier and 26.9 percent from last year, the company said.
Chinatrust, Mega profits slide
Chinatrust Financial Holding Co (中信金控), the nation’s third-largest financial service provider, yesterday posted a net profit of NT$1.21 billion last month, down 23.66 percent from one month earlier and 9.7 percent from a year ago, as the company set aside more loan loss reserves linked to loss-making ProMOS Technologies Inc (茂德科技), the company said in a statement.
For the first eight months of the year, Chinatrust’s net earnings totaled NT$13.94 billion, or earnings of NT$1.33 per share, the statement said.
The firm said net income would have outpaced July’s figures without the NT$1.03 billion in bad loan provision.
Meanwhile, Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控) posted a net profit of NT$1.34 billion last month, down 37.2 percent from one month earlier, but up 5.5 percent from a year ago, according to its stock exchange filing.
Cumulative net income for the first eight months of the year reached NT$12.92 billion, or NT$1.15 per share.
Taiwan at green tech show
Taiwan has doubled its presence at this year’s International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference in Malaysia, a four-day event that opened yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center.
The nation is being represented this year by 33 exhibitors at 35 booths, compared with only 14 companies and booths last year, Deputy Representative to Malaysia Lin Ming-li (林明禮) said.
Trade delegation on tour
A Taiwanese delegation has concluded a trade promotion visit to Mexico and left for Nicaragua on Sunday to continue its 13-day Central America tour with the goal of finding new markets for Taiwan’s technology products.
Wang Chung-yu (王鍾渝), chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA), and Arturo Mendicuti, chairman of Mexico City’s economic federation, presided over an investment conference on Sept. 1 where the two sides exchanged views.
After spending three days in Nicaragua, the delegation will head to Peru for a four-day visit.
NT dollar loses ground
The New Taiwan dollar fell against the US dollar yesterday, closing down NT$0.003 at NT$29.115 on turnover of US$771 million.
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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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],”