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NEWS & VIEWS |
Taipei,
Friday, November 21, 2008
13:32 (GMT+8)
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China leads in IC consumption, despite fragile supply from local players Nov 20, 11:58 The production value of China's semiconductor industry grew 23% to account for more than one-third of total chip production worldwide for the first time in 2007, as the nation's huge export growth has been the key to driving semiconductor consumption in the Chinese market, according to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Read more |
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IC design houses look to medical applications to drive revenue growth in 2009 Nov 19, 12:16 Two Taiwan-based IC design houses, Holtek Semiconductor and Sonix Technology, have voiced optimism about the growth potential for the medical electronics market. Holtek and Sonix estimate they will see a 10% and 7-8% sales contribution from medical applications, respectively, to their total sales, according to the companies. Read more |
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China semiconductor industry sees weak growth in 3Q08 Nov 18, 10:44 A recent survey by the China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) pointed out that China's semiconductor industry only saw 1.1% growth in the third quarter of 2008, the slowest rate on record. According to CSIA, China's IC industry maintained double-digit growth at 12.5% in the first quarter of 2008. However, the growth slowed down to 8.3% in the second quarter and further down in the third quarter, CSIA noted. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributor Koryo sees positive order visibility Nov 17, 16:42 IC distributor Koryo Electronics recorded after-tax profits of NT$10.44 million (US$315,000) in October, the highest for 2008. Orders placed by its major notebook customers have not been affected by the industry downturn, according to the company, adding that profit contributors also included micro-controller unit (MCU) and MOSFET product lines. Read more |
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IC substrate maker Kinsus to see sales decline more than 15% in 4Q amid weak order volumes Nov 12, 12:06 IC substrate maker Kinsus Interconnect Technology expects to see a sales decline of more than 15% in the fourth quarter, while its utilization rate will be in the 65-70% range and its gross margins will drop to 25%, down four percentage points from the third quarter, due to weak order volumes. Kinsus indicated its sales in November and December will drop by 15-20%, and its lead time has been reduced to four weeks, without a buffer period. Read more |
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IC designers Anpec and Ralink lower 4Q sales target on weak orders from mobo and notebook clients Nov 12, 11:18 IC design houses Anpec Electronics and Ralink Technology have lowered their fourth-quarter guidances because of weakend orders from motherboard and notebook clients respectively, according to industry sources. Sales of Anpec are expected to decline more than 30%, and Ralink's sales target has been changed from a 0-5% decline to a 10% decline, the sources indicated. Read more |
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IC distributor sales down in October with weak holiday season demand expected Nov 11, 16:03 IC distributors WPG Holdings, Zenitron, Yosun Industrial and WT Microelectronics all saw 5-10% sequential sales declines in October. Market watchers estimate the IC distributors' sales may fall over 10% in the fourth quarter. Read more |
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IC designers GMT, ITE and Ene report declines in October sales amid weakening demand from notebook segment Nov 11, 11:20 Notebook related products were relatively stable in terms of shipment volume in the third quarter, but orders from the segment are decreasing in the fourth quarter, as the economy continues weakening. With customers becoming more conservative about demand for the holiday season, Taiwan notebook related IC design companies Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), Integrated Technology Express (ITE) and Ene Technology saw sales decline in October. Read more |
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Driver IC designer Sitronix outperforms Orise in October Nov 10, 16:50 Driver IC supplier Orise Technology has reported October sales at NT$407 million (US$12.41 million), down 18.6% on month to mark the company's first sales decline since July. Another driver IC designer Sitronix Technology saw its October sales drop only 2% sequentially to NT$606 million. Read more |
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Thailin Semiconductor to expand logic IC testing business Nov 10, 13:58 IC testing company Thailin Semiconductor has said that it will continue to expand its logic IC testing business with prospects adding one or two new clients in the first quarter of 2009, according to company general manager Cho Lien-fa. Read more |
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October sales for LCD driver IC supplier Novatek hit low for year Nov 7, 16:19 Novatek Microelectronics has reported October sales at NT$2.15 billion (US$65.62 million), down 7.94% on month, the lowest monthly total this year for the company due to weak demand for LCD driver ICs. Read more |
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IC substrate maker PPT expected to see 10% decrease in 4Q08 revenues Nov 7, 16:06 IC substrate maker Phoenix Precision Technology's (PPT's) October sales declined 0.3% from September. The company holds a conservative view about fourth-quarter sales since order visibility is only one month and packaging company's Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) both expect to see sales decline in the fourth quarter. Investors estimate PPT's fourth-quarter sales are to drop by 10%. Read more |
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IC packaging vendor Greatek to limit capex in 4Q08 on slack orders Nov 6, 13:55 Consumer IC packaging company Greatek Electronics (GTK) is to limit its capex to below NT$100 million (US$3.05 million) in the fourth quarter of this year due to poor order visibility, according to company sources. Read more |
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LCD driver IC supplier Raydium cancels IPO Nov 5, 17:02 Raydium Semiconductor, an AU Optronics (AUO) affiliate, has announced it will cancel its initial public offering (IPO) in Taiwan scheduled for the end of this year due to the unclear global economic outlook. Read more |
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Taiwan-based IC distributor Edom becomes major supplier for biggest China handset ODM WingTech Nov 5, 01:05 Taiwan-based IC distributor Edom Technology has become a major supplier of components for WingTech Group, the biggest handset ODM in China, according to Edom. Read more |
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Driver IC packaging and testing houses to see utilization drop to 55-66% in 4Q08 Nov 5, 01:00 Driver IC packaging and testing houses Chipbond Technology, International Semiconductor Technology (IST), and ChipMOS Technologies will see their utilization rates drop to 55-60% in the fourth quarter from 60-70% in the third, as the LCD panel industry remains in the doldrums, according to industry sources. Read more |
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LCD driver IC maker Himax reports 3Q08 financial results Nov 4, 15:05 Himax Technologies has reported third-quarter net revenues at NT$230.1 million (US$7 million), representing a 5.5% decrease from NT$243.3 million for the third quarter of 2007 and 6.8% decrease from NT$246.9 million for the second quarter of 2008. Read more |
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IC substrate makers expect 5-10% sales decline in 4Q Nov 4, 11:52 A double-digit decline in fourth-quarter demand for packaging and testing products is expected due to weak orders for IC substrates. Institutional investors forecast Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (NPC), Kinsus Interconnect Technology and Unimicron Technology will see a 5-10% sales decline in the quarter. NPC and Phoenix Precision Technology (PPT) are both slowing their capacity expansion plans in response to weaker demand. Read more |
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IC distributor WPG expects to see stable performance in 4Q08 while outlook for 2009 is uncertain Oct 31, 12:40 Fourth-quarter sales of WPG Holdings are expected be stable, reaching NT$34-36 billion (US$1.04-1.1) with a 5.5-5.8% gross margin and 2.1-2.3% operating margin, according to company spokesperson Cliff Yuan. Read more |
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IC design house ITE sees profits jump over 33% sequentially in 3Q08 Oct 30, 13:57 IC-design house ITE Tech, a United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) affiliate, saw its after-tax profits shoot up 33.5% sequentially to NT$139 million (US$4.2 million) in the third quarter of 2008 in part due to gains from foreign exchange transactions and IP royalties income, according to the company's financial statement. Read more |
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China export companies bad debt ratio a worry for Taiwan IC distributors Oct 29, 01:00 According to official reports from the China government, the average bad debt ratio seen by China-based export enterprises has reached 3.3%, totaling over US$3.28 billion. Concern about a possible wave of bankruptcy among these export companies is growing among IC distributors in Taiwan, prompting them to turn away business in order to lower the risk of facing bad debts themselves. Read more |
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Taiwan IC design companies expected to see record sales in October Oct 28, 16:35 Taiwan IC design companies Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), Elan Microelectronics, Ralink Technology, Sitronix Technology and Global Unichip all expect outstanding performance in October and have a better outlook for the fourth quarter compared to rivals, according to market watchers. Read more |
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IC design service company Socle in merger talks with GSI Oct 28, 01:10 Taiwan-based IC design house service companies, Socle Technology and Gateway Silicon Incorporate (GSI), invested by foundry Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing are in merger talks, according to industry players. Industry players indicated that with Socle recently receiving investment from Chartered, it will probably be the surviving company should the two companies merge. Read more |
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IC testing and LCD equipment vendors report declined profits for Jan-Sep period Oct 22, 14:12 Two leading Taiwan IC testing and LCD equipment suppliers Mirle Automation and Test Research (TRI) have seen a decline in profits for the first three quarters of 2008 due to weak market conditions, according to the companies. Read more |
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Taiwan IC design houses report increased 3Q margins amid NT Dollar depreciation Oct 22, 12:10 LCD driver IC makers Orise Technology and Sitronix Technology have reported third-quarter gross margins at 20.16% and nearly 25% ,respectively, mainly due to exchange rate gains. Read more |
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IC design house Zentel lists on OTC market Newswatch - Oct 21, 17:09 IC design house Zentel Electronics listed on Taiwan's over-the-counter (OTC) stock market today (October 21). The company's main products are niche DRAM designs targeting consumer electronics and mobile communications devices. Read more |
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Weak market demand, tougher competition from Korea expected to weaken Taiwan LCD driver IC sales in 4Q Oct 16, 17:04 In addition to facing an overall sluggish LCD panel market, Taiwan LCD component suppliers of LCD driver ICs and analog ICs are facing the added pressure of a relatively strong Taiwan dollar compared to the Korean Won. Read more |
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Taiwan handset related IC design companies to see slight sales decline in 4Q08 thanks to stable demand for white-box handsets Oct 16, 15:35 Since demand for white-box handsets remains strong, most handset related IC design companies are forecast to see only a mild market decline in fourth quarter 2008. Read more |
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IC distributors to face revenue decline in final two months of 2008 Oct 16, 01:15 Although some IC distributors scored new highs in their monthly revenues in September, several notebook makers have recently started warning distributors to be more careful with their inventory for the fourth quarter, since demand in the next two months may see a sharp decline, according to sources at IC distributors. Read more |
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Taiwan PC-related IC design houses to see sales decline in 10% range in 4Q Oct 15, 11:27 Taiwan PC-related IC design companies including Realtek Semiconductor, Integrated Technology Express (ITE), Anpec Electronics, Richtek Technology and Ene Technology all expect their fourth-quarter sales to drop at least 10% sequentially. Read more |
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Taiwan memory IC packaging and testing firms to benefit from Micron-Qimonda deal Oct 14, 14:59 Taiwan-based memory IC packaging and testing companies are likely to benefit from the Micron-Qimonda deal, according to sources at Taiwan IC packaging and testing companies. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributors look to their cash flow Oct 14, 12:26 According to recent financial reports from Taiwan's top ten IC distributors, four of them are seeing a negative cash flow, making some banks worry about the future operations of IC distributors, indicated market watchers. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributors WPG, WT Microelectronics and Alltek report outstanding September sales Oct 13, 15:11 Taiwan IC distributors including WPG Holdings, WT Microelectronics and Alltek Technology have announced outstanding September sales reports. Read more |
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Taiwan analog IC design houses expect outstanding 3Q08 margins and EPS thanks to depreciation of NT dollar Oct 13, 12:19 Taiwan analog IC design houses are seeing a rebound in their third-quarter financials thanks to currency exchange gains due to the depreciation of the NT dollar. Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT) has reported an earnings per share (EPS) of over NT$4 (US$0.12), and Richtek Technology, Advanced Analog Technology (AAT) and Anpec Electronics are also expected to announce high EPS levels, according to market sources. Read more |
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Peak sales season might fall early for IC channel vendors Oct 9, 01:25 The holidays in China during October 2008 did not bring in demand for IC products as happened in previous years, prompting IC channel vendors to believe that this year's peak sales season may have already come and gone. Read more |
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LCD driver IC front and back-end companies report 3Q08 sales decline due to panel output reductions Oct 7, 17:00 Driver IC maker Novatek Microelectronics has reported decline in third-quarter sales due to reductions in output a panel makers. Chipbond Technology also failed to meet third-quarter expectations. Read more |
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Despite a bearish market, some Taiwan IC design houses seeing share price gains amid consolidation speculation Oct 7, 16:10 While the Taiwan stock market continues to perform badly, Taiwan IC design companies Advanced Analog Technology (AAT), Alcor Micro and Anpec Electronics are showing a rebound in their share price, as market speculation indicates that each of the companies could be a target of a a merger soon. Read more |
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Taiwan IC design companies to see on-year sales growth in 4Q08 Oct 6, 11:49 Taiwan IC design houses are expected to see on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter this year because of the low baseline set as a result of the collapse of market demand in 2007, according to market sources. Read more |
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TKK benefiting from IC substrate and PV customers; 2009 outlook optimistic Oct 3, 16:43 Although the general economy is weak, semiconductor equipment distributor Taiwan Kong King's (TKK's) sales and profits will continue to grow thanks to the capacity expansions of IC substrate and PV customers, stated Smale Liao, general manager of TKK. Read more |
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Taiwan IC testing company GT looks to support itself Oct 3, 16:41 With capital expenditures typically accounting for 60-70% of a testing company's total costs, companies such as Global Testing (GT) have pursued uniques strategies to minimize their overall long-term equipment costs. According to Paul Yang, president and CEO of the company, Global Testing has devised an equipment purchasing strategy whereby it focuses on only a few product models in a market segment. Read more |
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IC design companies with more cash survive in Taiwan stock market Oct 1, 11:56 Taiwan IC stocks were down almost to their maximum daily limit on September 30, with only Realtek Semiconductor, Global Unichip, MediaTek and Sunplus Technology having a narrow escape, indicated market watchers. Read more |
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Chartered Semiconductor seeks to establish cooperation alliances with IC design houses Sep 30, 16:32 While seeking technological advancement by joining the IBM-led Common Platform technology alliance, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing is also pushing the establishment of design cooperation alliances to sustain its growth, according to sources at Taiwan IC design houses. Read more |
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Notebook related IC houses worries about weak demand in 4Q Sep 30, 11:54 With the back-to-school peak season not meeting expectations, IC design houses focusing on the PC segment including Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), Ene Technology and Integrated Technology Express (ITE) are pessimistic about the market moving into the fourth quarter. Read more |
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LCD IC packaging and testing players facing tough 3Q due to reduced LCD panel output Sep 26, 16:20 With panel makers having reduced their output in the third quarter, LCD driver IC makers have been conservative about placing orders with back-end packaging and testing companies, with related back-end players having to cut prices in order to attract orders and improve their utilization rates, according to industry players. Read more |
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Taiwan IC design houses continue price cuts due to weak order volumes Sep 26, 01:10 Taiwan's IC design industry is heading toward a down cycle. Although MediaTek has almost tripled its third-quarter sales guidance, Pixart Imaging (PXI), Ralink Technology, Elan Microelectronics, Richtek Technology, Ene Technology, Anpec Electronics, Realtek Semiconductor and Novatek Microelectronics, have all announced reduced targets for the third quarter. Read more |
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Taiwan IC makers urged to explore semiconductor market in China Sep 25, 16:37 Taiwan semiconductor makers should team up with EMS/ODM companies to jointly explore the IC market in China due to the lower self-sufficiency rate for ICs there, according to Clement E Pausa, senior technology adviser, PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Technology Center. Read more |
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IC design houses to see strong sales in 3Q08 thanks to China employment laws Sep 24, 14:14 Thanks to new employment laws in China that empower employees to choose not to work overtime or else receive compensation at a higher rate, OEM/ODM IC orders are being brought forward to September, since makers hope to get the orders done in advance rather than wait for the peak holiday season, according to industry players. Read more |
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Another Taiwan IC distributor chooses treasury stock strategy Sep 23, 15:39 Following WT Microelectronics' decision to cancel plans for a rights issue and instead issue treasury stocks, Galaxy Far East also announced similar plans on September 22, making it the fourth IC distributor to issue treasury stocks. Read more |
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Revenues of IC packaging and testing companies set for sequential decline in 4Q Sep 18, 12:24 Leading Taiwan IC packaging and testing companies are expected to see their revenues slide 5% in general in the fourth quarter of this year after posting a low single-digit growth in the third quarter, according to sources at the companies. Read more |
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Taiwan IC distributors say design houses delaying launch of new products amid economic concerns Sep 17, 12:19 Although IC design houses usually introduce new products in the fourth quarter every year, semiconductor vendors will still be cleaning out inventory of old products in the fourth quarter this year due to global weak economy and a number of financial crises, according to IC distributors. Read more |
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