Taipei Times
Date: Mar 20, 2017
By: Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter

Sun Yad Construction Co Ltd (上曜開發) expects revenue to increase rapidly in the second half of this year, as the company might start to recognize income from a luxury housing project in July, chairman Chang Yu-ming (張祐銘) said on Thursday last week.

The Tainan-based company plans to file for an occupancy permit for the city’s first upscale residential building in May and transfer ownership to buyers in July, Chang said.

“The project, with 24 floors above ground and 88 units, is more than 90 percent sold, beating all market expectations in Tainan, where buyers prefer townhouses and dislike management fees,” Chang told an investors’ conference in Taipei.   [FULL  STORY]

EXPANDING MARKETS:The leasing services provider is to begin operations in the Philippines this year in addition to its business in Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 20, 2017
By: Ted Chen / Staff reporter

Chailease Holding Co Ltd (中租控股) expects its expanded presence in Southeast Asia to sustain earnings growth this year, chairman Albert Chen (陳鳳龍) said last week.

Highlighting its focus on the region, the nation’s top leasing services provider this year began reporting on its new operations in Vietnam and Malaysia along with its more established business in Thailand.

The two markets are expected to provide stable profit contribution and the company has established a presence in five of 10 ASEAN countries, Chen told investors at an earnings conference in Taipei.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 18, 2017
By: Lauly Li / Staff reporter

Shares of Catcher Technology Co (可成科技) yesterday rose 4.25 percent to a one-year high of NT$282 after the metal casing company reported better-than-expected earnings for last quarter.

Catcher, which supplies metal casings for Apple Inc’s iPhones, iPads and MacBook Pro, on Thursday posted net income of NT$9.52 billion (US$311 million) for last quarter, the highest quarterly profit in its history.

The result represented a 34.8 percent increase from NT$7.06 billion in the same period last year and 113.1 percent from the prior quarter’s NT$4.47 billion, company data showed.

It also beat Credit Suisse Group AG’s forecast of NT$6.3 billion and consensus estimates of NT$7.09 billion.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017-03-17

Taiwan’s ban on food imports from the Fukushima area of Japan may affect trade relations and damage Taiwan’s credibility. That’s the word from Taiwan’s representative to Japan, Frank Hsieh, on Thursday.

Taiwan banned food imports from Fukushima and four neighboring prefectures after the 2011 meltdown of a nuclear plant. Officials from Japan and Taiwan have since discussed the possibility of lifting the ban. However, public opinion in Taiwan remains strongly opposed. The topic is now considered too politically sensitive and officials have avoided it in recent meetings between the two sides.

Hsieh told Taiwan’s Central News Agency that the government has dragged its heels on the issue and that media coverage has been unfair. He said this will damage Taiwan’s credibility, especially with upcoming trade talks with the US. [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/03/18
By: Tien Yu-pin and Frances Huang

Taipei, March 18 (CNA) Market capitalization of the local main board rose almost 3 percent this week after the Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index (TAIEX) breached the 9,900 point mark, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE).

The TWSE data showed that market cap of the main board rose 2.98 percent from a week earlier to NT$29.33 trillion (US$958 billion) in the week ending on Friday with the weighted index ending at 9,908.69 points, the highest closing level since April 28, 2016, when the index finished at 9,956.83.

In the week, the weighted index rose 280.80 points, or 2.92 percent amid improving market sentiment with investors rushing to pick up market heavyweights such as contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電) and smartphone camera lens supplier Largan Precision Co. (大立光), after the U.S. Federal Reserve said that it will implement an interest rate hike cycle in a “gradual” manner.    [FULL  STORY]

BRIGHT PROSPECTS:The world’s second-biggest NOR flash chipmaker has benefited from its product’s expanding applications, including in Internet of Things devices

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 18, 2017
By: Lisa Wang / Staff reporter

Macronix International Co (旺宏電子), the world’s No. 2 NOR flash memorychip maker, yesterday said clients are queuing for its products amid a supply shortage.

The company has a rosy outlook for the NOR flash market for the next two years as new applications boost demand, Macronix chairman Miin Wu (吳敏求) told a news conference.

“The gap between supply and demand is becoming larger as demand continues to climb,” Wu said.

Robust demand also reflects on quick digestion of inventory, with NT$7 billion (US$229 million) worth of inventory cleared in less than three months, Macronix said.
[FULL  STORY]