HannsTouch Solution Inc (和鑫), one of the world’s top three suppliers of touch sensors for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) panels, last quarter reported its best quarterly net profits in nine quarters at NT$234.85 million (US$7.6 million), aided by increased production of the ultra-high-resolution and extra-bright panels in China.
Last quarter’s figures compare with losses of NT$96.77 million in the first quarter of last year and losses of NT$28.92 million in the fourth quarter of last year, the company said in a financial statement to the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Gross margin last quarter soared to 34.33 percent, compared with 9.45 percent a year earlier and 8.28 percent a quarter earlier, the statement said.
The world’s major mobile phone makers are adopting more AMOLED panels for their flagship and some mid-range models.
To cope with growing demand, HannsTouch’s Chinese clients — BOE Technology Group Co (京東方科技) and Tianma Microelectronics Co (天馬微電子) — are boosting production of AMOLED panels, which have been a boon to HannsTouch’s orders.
BOE and Tianma aim to ship 50 million and 10 million AMOLED panels this year respectively, a spike from 2.5 million and 900,000 last year, according to market researcher IHS Markit’s tally.
HannsTouch also benefited from new orders from Samsung Electronics Co, after Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (CPT, 中華映管) shut down factories due to financial woes.
HannsTouch competes with CPT for large orders from Samsung.
CPT has only resumed small-scale production as its financial problems remain and it faces being delisted from the local stock market.
Robust growth momentum has helped boost HannsTouch’s stock price, which improved to NT$15.5 yesterday from NT$7.38 on Jan. 2.
HannsTouch, which is 26.78 percent owned by mobile phone LCD panel maker HannStar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶), operates a G5.5 plant in Tainan and primarily produces touch sensors used in rigid OLED panels for mobile phones, smart watches and tablets, as well as touch sensors used in flexible OLED panels.
In search of new revenue sources, HannsTouch has also expanded its business scope to include hotels and real-estate leasing.
The company acquired Chaiin Hotel (謙商旅) for NT$30 million via its investment arm, according to a regulatory filing on April 1.
On Tuesday last week, the company announced that it plans to convert its offices in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) into a hotel called Hanns House (瀚寓酒店), which is set to open in the fourth quarter this year.
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