Taiwanese chip retailers report a banner November

Taipei, Dec. 8, 2003 (CENS)—Some Taiwanese chip retailers saw their November revenues hit record highs and some said their robust November revenues help them accomplish annual goals ahead of schedule.

Normally, chip retail business slows down in November and December from a peak in October along with shipment reductions by motherboard and notebook-computer suppliers. But Audix Corp. and Zenitron Corp. saw monthly revenue setting new records for four consecutive months until last month.

Audix's November revenue was NT$731 million (US$21.5 million at US$1:NT$34), soaring 66% from the comparable month of last year. Its Jan.-Nov. revenue, totaling NT$5.5 billion (US$161.7 million), represented a 39% gain from the same period of last year.

Zenitron reported November revenue of NT$880 million (US$25.8 million), surging 47% from the year-earlier level. In the first eleven months this year, the company had total revenue of NT$7.6 billion (US$225 million), up 39% from the same period of last year.

The company pointed out that its Hong Kong subsidiary also saw its November revenue a new high of NT$299 million (US$8.7 million). Including the subsidiary's revenue, Zenitron scored total November revenue of NT$1.1 billion (US$34.6 million), increasing 42% from one year earlier.

Zenitron attributed its handsome November revenue largely to expanded global demand in the wireless, digital camera, TFT-LCD monitor, DVD-RW and notebook computer markets. In the first eleven months, the company had total revenue of NT$9.8 billion (US$290 million).

World Peace Industrial Co., Ltd. Saw November revenue drop 6.5% to reach NT$4 billion (US$118.8 million), with the decline narrowing from a projected level of 15%. The company raked in total revenue of NT$36.5 billion (US$1.07 billion) in the first eleven months, soaring 46.3% from the same period of last year and exceeding its annual goal of NT$35 billion (US$1.02 billion).

Yosun Group's November revenue increased 28.37% from one year earlier to NT$2.5 billion (US$74 million). Its Jan.-Nov. revenue was NT$21.6 billion (US$635 million), far more than its annual goal. The company attributed the stellar November revenue to the thriving demand for some chips that big-name chipmakers such as Samsung and Fairchild contracted it to sell.

Wah Lee Industrial Corp. raked in November revenue of NT$700 million (US$20.5 million), increasing 4.9% the year-earlier level. The company scored Jan.-Nov. revenue of NT$7.2 billion (US$212 million), a 6.59% gain from the same period of last year and representing 89% of its 2003 revenue goal.

The company estimated its fourth-quarter revenue to hit new quarterly high of the year and its annual revenue goal to be 97% attained throughout this year. For next year, the company holds an optimistic view in light of bold expansions by leading chipmakers and warming sales of printed circuit boards for high-power handsets.