Electronics manufacturer Qisda Corp (佳世達) yesterday said that its board of directors had approved the distribution of a cash dividend of NT$2 per common share, representing a payout ratio of 47.62 percent based on its earnings per share of NT$4.2 last year.
The company said it made a net profit of NT$8.25 billion (US$269.8 million) last year, down 0.7 percent from a year earlier.
Last year’s net profit was the company’s second-best performance in the past 10 years and came second only to the previous year’s NT$8.31 billion, or earnings per share of NT$4.22.
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Qisda makes computer peripherals, communications devices and consumer electronics. The firm also provides consulting and technical services, and has been developing its value-added businesses.
Last year’s financial performance showed that the firm weathered a downturn in the electronics industry, as growth in high-value-added products helped offset declines in information technology products due to inventory corrections, Qisda said in a statement.
Information technology products, monitors and projectors were the biggest sources of revenue last year, making up 61 percent of the company’s revenue during the first three quarters of last year, company data showed.
Gross margin was flat at 14.4 percent last year from a year earlier, the statement said.
High-value-added and higher-margin products — such as medical devices, smart solutions and networking products — contributed about NT$100 billion in revenue last year, Qisda said.
Revenue last year expanded 6.1 percent to NT$239.83 billion from NT$225.96 billion the previous year, an all-time high, it said.
The cash dividend represents a yield of 6.55 percent based on the company’s closing share price of NT$30.55 yesterday.
Shareholders are to vote on the proposal at the company’s annual general meeting on May 29.
The company’s board yesterday also approved a plan to inject US$235 million into its hospital investments, which would help enhance channel deployment for its medical businesses.
Qisda is to release detailed financial figures and give its business outlook during an online investor conference tomorrow.
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