Silicon Corp and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (ASE,
ASE Inc is the world's second largest semiconductor assembly and testing service provider. Silicon Corp provides logic chip testing services, and is in the midst of being bought by Siliconware Precision Industries Co (
ASE Inc yesterday reported revenue for September rose 2.6 percent over the August figure to NT$2.52 billion, a monthly record, on the back of continued growth and strong demand. Silicon Corp's revenue for September was the highest this year, and the second highest after the NT$208 million posted last August. Revenue rose 21.7 percent over the August figure to NT$202 million.
The record revenues stand out as growth in certain industry sectors such as PCs and chipsets has failed to meet expectations due to slowing demand growth. "You're looking at the benefit of outsourced semiconductor production," said Michael Cheng, semiconductor assembly and test analyst at Salomon Smith Barney Securities Taiwan.
"If you're an outsourced semiconductor manufacturer, you have a portfolio of customers, and they're all in different places," said Cheng. "Look at any of the diversified semiconductor manufacturers; they tend not to be so hurt by downturns," he said.
Jong Lin, spokesman for Siliconware Precision Industries Co, said that demand at his company remained strong. "We have different kinds of customers -- some are up, some are down, but in total, the information on hand shows demand is still strong," he said.
"According to our experience, September's revenue should be higher than July and August," he said. Siliconware Precision has yet to report its September figures and disowned the numbers reported in the local media earlier this week. Silicon Corp was contacted, but provided no comment about its September revenue.
As well as benefiting from a diversified portfolio of customers, revenue should remain strong at the packaging and testing houses due to continued wafer foundry growth, analysts said. "The foundries give the wafers to the packaging houses for assembly," an analyst at Fubon Securities said. "So long as TSMC and UMC's revenue continues to grow, the revenue at the assembly houses will also continue to grow," he said. TSMC and UMC are the world's two largest producers of made-to-order computer chips.
Revenue will grow yet further through the expanded capacity of Taiwan's largest packaging companies and their provision of "one-stop-shopping" manufacturing solutions to customers, analysts said.
In view of this, Siliconware Precision will hold a joint shareholders meeting with Silicon Corp today to seek approval for the packaging company's acquisition of Silicon Corp. The boards of the two companies agreed to the acquisition at the end of August. Analysts said Siliconware Precision would benefit from the acquisition by enhancing operational efficiency and creating a one-stop-shop for testing and packaging.
The move is especially important if Siliconware Precision wants to keep up with ASE Group, which consists of ASE Inc and ASE Test, the semiconductor test service arm of the group. Yesterday, the group reported September revenue of NT$4.83 billion, up almost two percent over the August figure.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique