UMC's Q1 Fab-Capacity to Hit 100% Amid Stellar Q4
By Mark LaPedus
Silicon Strategies
02/04/2004, 12:00 PM ET
HSINCHU, Taiwan--United Microelectronics Corp. reported sales of NT$23.72 billion (US$698 million) in the fourth quarter of 2003, up 10.1 percent from the previous quarter and 35.5 percent from the like period a year ago.
Quarter-over-quarter net income increased 60.1 percent to NT$6.73 billion (US$198 million). The net income was 582.3 percent over the like period a year ago, according to the Taiwan foundry giant.
Overall utilization rate for the quarter was 96 percent, compared to 84 percent for the pervious quarter.
UMC shipped 644 thousand 8-inch equivalent wafers in 4Q03, a 17.9 percent increase from 546 thousand 8-inch equivalents shipped in the previous quarter. Blended average selling price (ASP) of net wafer sales was flat in U.S. dollar terms compared with the previous quarter.
Year-over-year revenue increased to NT$84.86 billion (US$2.50 billion), up 25.9 percent from NT$67.43 billion in 2002. Year-over-year gross profit increased to NT$19.44 billion (US$572 million), from NT$ 11.20 billion in 2002.
For the first quarter of 2004, UMC said wafer shipments will be flat compared to the previous quarter. Wafer ASPs will increase by low single digit percentage points. Capacity utilization rate will hit approximately 100 percent after factoring in fab maintenance
"We are pleased to report a sequential increase of over 60 percent in operating income for the fourth quarter," said Jackson Hu, CEO at UMC, in a statement. "During this period, we experienced a steady increase in overall demand, particularly from the communications segment, which exhibited a robust rise in orders," he said.
"By the end of 2004, we plan to triple our 300mm manufacturing capacity to 30-thousand 12-inch wafers per month," he said. "Planned total capacity, including UMCi, will increase 16 percent year-over-year, with over half of our total capacity capable of manufacturing chips using 0.18um and below technologies." |
