WEAKNESS AHEAD: The chipmaking giant said capital expenditure this year would be lower but enough to support equipment upgrading and expansion to match demand
By Lisa Wang
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufac-turing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday reported record quarterly profits on better-than-expected demand for PC and handset chips, but said it was slashing capital expenditure (capex) this year by 30 percent in light of an industry slowdown.

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By Joyce Huang
Chinatrust Financial Holding Co (中信金控), the nation's sixth-biggest financial service provider, yesterday reported that net profit last year reached NT$13.34 billion (US$414 million), or earnings per share of NT$1.49, on lower bad-loan provisions and growing fee income. This compared with a net loss of NT$10.17 billion in 2006.

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By Jerry Lin
Advanced Semiconductor Engineer-ing Inc (ASE, 日月光半導體), the world's largest semiconductor packaging and testing firm, yesterday warned that first-quarter revenue could drop between 12 percent and 14 percent owing to seasonal factors and weak market sentiment.

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OPTIMISM: The display maker raised its forecast capital spending by NT$30 billion to build an 8.5G fab on expectations of robust demand, especially for large-screen TVs
By Judy Lin
Flat panel manufacturer Chi Mei Optoelectronics (奇美電) yesterday reported that net profits last year soared 918.5 percent to NT$36.08 billion (US$1.1 billion), or NT$5.25 per share, and expects business to continue growing this year.

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By Kevin Chen
While banks in Asia have been rattled lately by the US subprime mortgage problems and the lingering credit crunch worldwide, Standard & Poor's said it was the ailing US economy that would hit this sector the hardest.

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LAST STRAW: FSC Vice Chairwoman Susan Chang said Asia Trust has been unsuccessful for many years, failing to improve its finances with a capital injection
By Joyce Huang
After being pushed into the red, debt-ridden Asia Trust and Investment Corp (亞洲信託) was officially taken over by the nation's financial regulator yesterday afternoon.

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UNDERVALUED: Without assessing the intangibles, the assets of Taiwanese airlines have been underestimated, raising concerns investors could buy them below value
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is expected to demand within a few days that aviation rights be listed among the assets of Taiwanese airlines in a bid to correct current practices which tend to underestimate the value of companies' net assets, sources said yesterday.

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By Lisa Wang
Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大哥大), the nation's second-largest telecom service carrier, yesterday projected that first quarter net income would increase by 5 percent from a year earlier after combining its fixed and cable TV businesses.

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TAIEX closes lower

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