CEMENT
TCC may see earnings rise
Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台泥) might see its earnings expand this quarter from last quarter on the back of high-season sales, Capital Securities Corp (群益證券) said in a note on Tuesday last week. The company’s earnings would also grow on contributions from Hoping Power Co (和平電廠) in Hualien County, which enters the peak season this quarter, Capital said. Taiwan Cement reported net income of NT$2 billion (US$63.1 million) last quarter. Its net income for this quarter is forecast to increase 29.95 percent year-on-year to NT$2.6 billion, with NT$7.17 billion estimated for the whole of this year, the brokerage said.
WOOD PRODUCTS
Green River eyes China
Thailand-based wood board manufacturer Green River Holding Co might benefit from growing demand in China this year, as Beijing is to ban commercial logging next year, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said in a note on Thursday last week. The company also has a chance to penetrate China’s particle-board market, as the need for such items is increasing, Yuanta said in the report. Green River told an investors’ conference on Wednesday last week that it has expanded capacity for wood boards and particle boards and that it is to keep developing value-added products.
TECHNOLOGY
Largan target raised
Citigroup Global Markets Inc has raised its target price for shares of Largan Precision Co (大立光) from NT$4,000 to NT$5,100, as the smartphone-camera lens supplier is expected to benefit from the rising adoption of dual lenses in the global industry. China’s Vivo Electronics Corp (維沃移動通信) is using Largan’s dual lenses in its new smartphone models, Citigroup said.
In Italy’s storied gold-making hubs, jewelers are reworking their designs to trim gold content as they race to blunt the effect of record prices and appeal to shoppers watching their budgets. Gold prices hit a record high on Thursday, surging near US$5,600 an ounce, more than double a year ago as geopolitical concerns and jitters over trade pushed investors toward the safe-haven asset. The rally is putting undue pressure on small artisans as they face mounting demands from customers, including international brands, to produce cheaper items, from signature pieces to wedding rings, according to interviews with four independent jewelers in Italy’s main
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has talked up the benefits of a weaker yen in a campaign speech, adopting a tone at odds with her finance ministry, which has refused to rule out any options to counter excessive foreign exchange volatility. Takaichi later softened her stance, saying she did not have a preference for the yen’s direction. “People say the weak yen is bad right now, but for export industries, it’s a major opportunity,” Takaichi said on Saturday at a rally for Liberal Democratic Party candidate Daishiro Yamagiwa in Kanagawa Prefecture ahead of a snap election on Sunday. “Whether it’s selling food or
CONCERNS: Tech companies investing in AI businesses that purchase their products have raised questions among investors that they are artificially propping up demand Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Saturday said that the company would be participating in OpenAI’s latest funding round, describing it as potentially “the largest investment we’ve ever made.” “We will invest a great deal of money,” Huang told reporters while visiting Taipei. “I believe in OpenAI. The work that they do is incredible. They’re one of the most consequential companies of our time.” Huang did not say exactly how much Nvidia might contribute, but described the investment as “huge.” “Let Sam announce how much he’s going to raise — it’s for him to decide,” Huang said, referring to OpenAI
The global server market is expected to grow 12.8 percent annually this year, with artificial intelligence (AI) servers projected to account for 16.5 percent, driven by continued investment in AI infrastructure by major cloud service providers (CSPs), market researcher TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday. Global AI server shipments this year are expected to increase 28 percent year-on-year to more than 2.7 million units, driven by sustained demand from CSPs and government sovereign cloud projects, TrendForce analyst Frank Kung (龔明德) told the Taipei Times. Demand for GPU-based AI servers, including Nvidia Corp’s GB and Vera Rubin rack systems, is expected to remain high,
RSS