UMC recorded highest monthly revenue in July
Taipei, Aug. 8, 2000 (CENS)--United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), Taiwan's second largest provider of wafer foundry services listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, posted revenue of NT$9.32 billion last month, the highest monthly figure ever for the company.
The record high last month was nearly four times the revenue registered in July 1999, before UMC merged four affiliates. For the seven-month period January-July this year, the company's cumulative revenue came to NT$53.07 billion, a whopping hike of 232.57% from the same period last year.
UMC reaped revenue of NT$43.75 billion for the first half of this year, attaining 49.7% of the NT$88 billion projected for this year. The corresponding half-year after-tax profit of NT$19.51 billion and net earnings per share (EPS) of NT$1.79 fulfilled 65% of the NT$30.03 billion and 67% of the net EPS of NT$2.67, respectively, projected for this year.
Along with a reduction in defect rates, the company's average gross profit rate of wafer foundry services has risen from 44%-46% in the first quarter of this year to 48% in the second and is likely to further jump to 50% in the second half of this year. On the other hand, the price of wafer foundry services may hike as well.
Based on the seven-month performance and the tendency toward higher profitability of wafer foundry services, local stock market analysts predict that UMC's revenue this year will exceed NT$100 billion and even attain NT$110 billion and after-tax profit will reach NT$45 billion with net EPS of NT$4. |
