After posting record profits last year, Materials Analysis Technology Inc (MA-tek, 閎康) yesterday said that it expects robust demand from Japan to fuel its revenue growth this year, benefiting from a nascent revival of the Japanese market.
Net profit last year rose 9.38 percent to NT$686 million (US$21.82 million) from 2022’s NT$627 million, the semiconductor material analysis company said in a statement. That translated into earnings per share of NT$10.81 from NT$10.12 in the prior year.
The board of directors approved a proposal to distribute cash dividends of NT$9 per share this year, representing a payout ratio of 83 percent and up from NT$8 last year.
Photo courtesy of Materials Analysis Technology
MA-tek said it expects to benefit from fast-growing demand in Japan, as its government strives to revive its semiconductor industry’s past glory.
Growth should be robust this quarter, as orders at its Kumamoto laboratory, which opened in September last year, materialize into revenue gains, it said.
“Since the inception of the Kumamoto lab, the company has received a considerable number of orders. Thus, the company expects the lab to contribute significantly to revenue in the first quarter. To satisfy customers’ demand, the company will continue boosting the lab’s capacity,” it said.
MA-tek has said that it is considering setting up a second laboratory in Kumamoto to catch up with growing demand, mainly for automotive chips. The company currently operates two labs in Japan, one in Kumamoto and one in Nagoya, offering material and chip reliability analysis services.
That matches its major client’s expansion in Japan. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) plans to start construction of a second fab in Kumamoto in the fourth quarter, following the launch of its first fab in the prefecture last month.
The Japanese market accounted for about 8 percent of MA-tek’s revenue during the first half of last year, company data showed. Taiwan was its biggest revenue source, accounting for 48 percent, followed by China with 44 percent.
MA-tek yesterday reported that January-February revenue rose 5.83 percent year-on-year to NT$774.06 million, aided by a pickup in the global semiconductor industry.
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