Novatek Microelectronics Corp (聯詠) on Monday reported a record NT$6.08 billion (US$217.88 million) net profit for last quarter as the work-from-home and remote-schooling trends boosted demand for chips for notebook computers, tablets and gaming monitors.
Last quarter’s net profit tripled from NT$2.02 billion a year earlier, Novatek said.
On a quarterly basis, net profit expanded 33.63 percent from NT$4.55 billion, it said.
Photo: Grace Hung, Taipei Times
Earnings per share (EPS) surged to NT$9.66, compared with NT$3.63 a year earlier and NT$5.99 the previous quarter, it said.
Gross margin climbed to 43.65 percent, compared with 33.21 percent a year earlier and 38.04 percent the previous quarter, on higher prices and favorable product portfolios, the company said.
Gross margin beat the company’s estimate of 38 to 41 percent, it said.
Revenue last quarter also surpassed the company’s guidance of NT$25.2 billion to NT$26 billion, expanding 56.13 percent annually and 17.46 percent quarterly to NT$26.37 billion, Novatek said.
Sales of driver ICs and system on a chip solutions contributed 67 percent and 33 percent respectively to its overall sales in the first quarter, it said.
Novatek vice chairman and president Steven Wang (王守仁) in February said that TV chip shipments would outgrow driver IC shipments in the first quarter, thanks to shipments deferred from the previous quarter amid tight wafer capacity.
The company’s board of directors on Monday proposed the distribution of a cash dividend of NT$15.6 per common share, a payout ratio of 80.33 percent based on last year’s EPS of NT$19.42.
The distribution plan is subject to shareholders’ approval at the company’s annual general meeting on June 8.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
RSS