14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that TSMC has done quite well for itself during 2010, having apparently reached all-time highs in both revenues and net profits, thanks, in part, to substantial increases in sales of chips based on advanced process technologies.
Since pretty much every company on the IT market has been releasing its financial results for 2010, it was only a matter of time until TSMC did something of the sort.
Apparently, the foundry actually did quite well for itself, having registered consolidated revenues of NT$419.54 billion, the equivalent of US$13.32 billion.
This is quite a jump from the previous record, set in 2008, when TSMC managed a sum of NT$333.16 billion.
Meanwhile, net profits also increased by 27.1% compared to the 2006 record of NT$127.19 billion, to NT$161.61 billion.
As expected, the report dealing with this news focused to a significant extent on TSMC's performance during the second quarter.
Wafer shipments, revenues from advanced process technologies and sales from the communications segment increased sequentially.
The 40/45nm and 65nm nodes, for instance, accounted for 21% and 31%, respectively, of the overall Q4 sales, while 1.13-micron and below processes contributed 73% to the overall shipments of 3.195 million 8-inch equivalent units.
"In the fourth quarter, demand for TSMC's wafers remained strong, with increases in wafer shipments in the communication segment offsetting decreases in computer and consumer segments," the company said in a statement.
"40nm process technology accounted for 21% of total wafer revenues, 65nm accounted for 31%. These advanced technologies exceeded 50% of total wafer sales for the first time and accounted for 52% of total revenues."
For 2011, TSMC has set a capex of US7.8 billion, a record in and of itself, while Q1 revenues are expected to reach NT$105-107 billion.
"For the first quarter of 2011, we expect the demand to be stronger than seasonal," Ho said.