STEELMAKERS
CSC profit up 20 percent
China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼), the nation’s only integrated steelmaker, yesterday posted pretax profit of NT$2.7 billion (US$89.45 million) for last month, a 20 percent increase from April, backed by demand for its steel products. That brought pretax profit in the first five months of this year to NT$10.68 billion, a 25 percent increase from NT$8.54 billion in the same period last year, the company said in a statement. CSC has sold 4.6 million tonnes of carbon steel so far this year, company data showed. The steelmaker is to hold an annual meeting tomorrow in Kaohsiung, where shareholders are to vote on a dividend distribution plan based on last year’s earnings of NT$16.91 billion.
HOSPITALITY
TTFB dividend approved
Tai Tong Food & Beverage Group (TTFB, 瓦城泰統集團) shareholders yesterday approved a proposal to distribute a cash dividend of NT$12.6 per common share, representing a payout ratio of 89.24 percent based on the company’s record-high earnings of NT$14.12 per share last year. Earnings last year totaled NT$328 million, with sales increasing 6.57 percent to NT$4.1 billion, thanks to better cost controls and continued outlet expansion, according to the company’s annual report. TTFB, whose benchmark brands include Thai Town Cuisine (瓦城泰式料理) and Very Thai Noodles (大心泰式麵食), is planning to launch its seventh brand shortly, it said.
AVIATION
CAL to launch Jakarta route
China Airlines (CAL) yesterday said it is to launch a new route from Kaohsiung to Jakarta via Hong Kong on July 1 to continue exploring the Southeast Asia travel market. Boeing B737-800 aircraft are to be used on the route, departing from Kaohsiung International Airport at 2:10pm and arriving in Hong Kong at 3:35pm, CAL said. On the next leg, the flight departs Hong Kong at 4:35pm and lands in Jakarta at 8:20pm, the airline said. On the return flight, the times are a 6:25am departure from Jarkata, 12:25pm arrival and a one-hour stop in Hong Kong, and a 2:55pm arrival in Kaohsiung, CAL said. Currently, the airline has 28 weekly services to Indonesian destinations, including Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali, the most flights by a single airline between Taiwan and Indonesia. CAL said it has an optimistic outlook on the Indonesian market and is targeting Indonesian travelers who wish to transit through Taiwan on their way to Europe or North America.
TOURISM
Kinmen targeting weddings
The Kinmen County Government has launched a new two-part tourism promotion drive to market the outlying islands as a destination for weddings, honeymoons and romantic travel tours, Kinmen Tourism Department Director-General Chen Mei-ling (陳美齡) said. During the first promotion period, from Friday next week to July 3, Kinmen is to offer special wedding packages that include ceremonies, banquets and photography, Chen said. Registration has been limited to 30 couples, including foreign nationals, who would receive a range of gifts and free souvenirs. In the second round, Kimen is to host 200 weddings and romantic tours between July 1 and Nov. 15, and is to offer a variety of giveaways, Chen said, adding that registration for that period is now open. The county government is also promoting visits to 20 scenic spots on the islands for newlyweds and honeymooners. As part of the promotion, a wedding was held on June 8 at the Kinmen Military Headquarters, with the couple dressed in traditional wedding attire.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, yesterday said its materials management head, Vanessa Lee (李文如), had tendered her resignation for personal reasons. The personnel adjustment takes effect tomorrow, TSMC said in a statement. The latest development came one month after Lee reportedly took leave from the middle of last month. Cliff Hou (侯永清), senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer, is to concurrently take on the role of head of the materials management division, which has been under his supervision, TSMC said. Lee, who joined TSMC in 2022, was appointed senior director of materials management and
Gudeng Precision Industrial Co (家登精密), the sole extreme ultraviolet pod supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), yesterday said it has trimmed its revenue growth target for this year as US tariffs are likely to depress customer demand and weigh on the whole supply chain. Gudeng’s remarks came after the US on Monday notified 14 countries, including Japan and South Korea, of new tariff rates that are set to take effect on Aug. 1. Taiwan is still negotiating for a rate lower than the 32 percent “reciprocal” tariffs announced by the US in April, which it later postponed to today. The
MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR: Revenue from AI servers made up more than 50 percent of Wistron’s total server revenue in the second quarter, the company said Wistron Corp (緯創) on Tuesday reported a 135.6 percent year-on-year surge in revenue for last month, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers, with the momentum expected to extend into the third quarter. Revenue last month reached NT$209.18 billion (US$7.2 billion), a record high for June, bringing second-quarter revenue to NT$551.29 billion, a 129.47 percent annual increase, the company said. Revenue in the first half of the year totaled NT$897.77 billion, up 87.36 percent from a year earlier and also a record high for the period, it said. The company remains cautiously optimistic about AI server shipments in the third quarter,
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Thursday met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, days before a planned trip to China by the head of the world’s most valuable chipmaker, people familiar with the matter said. Details of what the two men discussed were not immediately available, and the people familiar with the meeting declined to elaborate on the agenda. Spokespeople for the White House had no immediate comment. Nvidia declined to comment. Nvidia’s CEO has been vocal about the need for US companies to access the world’s largest semiconductor market and is a frequent visitor to China.
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