Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/26
By: Jalen Chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Taiwan-based Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE,日月光), the world’s largest integrated circuit packaging and testing services provider, announced late Thursday that it has prices its latest tranche of overseas convertible bonds at a 27 percent premium over the closing share price on the same day.

After the high premium in pricing news was released, shares of ASE outperformed the broader market Friday, to end up 0.81 percent at NT$43.30 (US$1.40) on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, where the weighted index closed down 0.14 percent.

The 2.75-year bonds worth US$200 million carrying a zero coupon rate were well received in the market and were six times oversubscribed so that ASE priced the tranche of the bonds at NT$54.55 in conversion price, which represented a 27 percent premium over Thursday’s closing price of NT$42.95.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-26
By: CNA  17:47 (GMT+8)

Apple’s first smartwatch may sell out in Taiwan on Friday, the first day of sales in the

local market, because the supply is limited, a local retailer said.

The Apple Watch went on sale at 11am Friday at 10 select Apple-authorized resellers in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, but the total number of initially available units was estimated at only 1,000.

A sales representative of Data Express Infotech Company, one of Apple’s main distributors in Taiwan, said the first batch may sell out on the launch day due to the limited supply.

A consumer surnamed Wang, 30, who was the first buyer of an Apple Watch at a Data Express store, said she began to queue up at 10pm Thursday.

Wang said she thinks most Taiwanese consumers are still uncertain about whether they really need the Apple Watch, while others have purchased it from other markets.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/25
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Frances Huang

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Local enterprises’ outlook toward the domestic manufacturing sector improved slightly in May, according to a monthly report released Thursday by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院).

The TIER, one of Taiwan’s leading think tanks, said that although electronics exports remained overshadowed by weakening global demand, outbound sales in machinery, textiles, optoelectronics and auto parts stabilized in the month, which helped the slightly increased optimism.

Based on the institute’s monthly survey of business sentiment in Taiwan, its manufacturing composite index rose 0.13 points from a month earlier to 96.42 in May, breaking a three-month losing streak.     [FULL STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-25
By: CNA

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has retained the title as the largest

corporate taxpayer in northern Taiwan, the National Taxation Bureau under the country’s Ministry of Finance said Wednesday.

According to statistics compiled by the bureau’s northern area division, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, paid more than NT$20 billion (US$645 million) in corporate income tax in 2014, the most of any enterprise operating in northern Taiwan.

In 2014, TSMC posted a net profit of NT$302.1 billion (US$9.76 billion), up 40.2% from a year earlier and the highest in the company’s history, because of strong global demand for mobile devices.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/24
By: Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, June 24 (CNA) McDonald’s Co., the world’s largest hamburger fast food chain, said Wednesday it will not pull out of the Taiwan market as reported, but the company did not address a report that implied it was planning to sell its directly operated stores.

In a statement released in the wake of a magazine story on the issue, McDonald’s said one of the preliminary steps in its global invigoration plan that was initiated last month is a review of its operating models around the world to allow the introduction of a more efficient business model.

Against this backdrop, McDonald’s said, it has decided to seek “developmental licensee” in Taiwan but will not withdraw from the market.

In the statement, McDonald’s also said its commitment to high standards of food safety will not change with its new approach.    [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-23
By: CNA

Just days before Apple’s smartwatch is scheduled to go on sale in Taiwan, a local

tech news website has reported that the device will be available in only 10 local retail stores initially.

Starting June 26, Taiwanese consumers will be able to try on or purchase the Apple Watch at 10 select Apple-authorized resellers in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, the site Applealmond.com said Sunday, citing anonymous sources.

In Taipei, the smartwatch will be available at Studio A’s three branches at the Taipei 101 Mall, Miramar Entertainment Park and Dayeh Takashimaya Department Store, at iStore’s Xinyi branch, and at Data Express’ flagship store at Q Square, the report said.

The watch will be also available at Data Express’ two branches at Mega City shopping mall in New Taipei, at Top City shopping mall in Taichung, and at iStore’s Taichung branch, according to the report.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/23
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Frances Huang

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) The Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute (元大寶華綜合經濟研究院), one of Taiwan’s leading think tanks, lowered its forecast for the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2015 on Tuesday, citing weakening domestic consumption and global demand.

Yuanta-Polaris lowered its GDP growth forecast for Taiwan to 3.32 percent from a previous estimate of 3.66 percent growth made in March, following similar revisions by academics and the government.

In late May, the official Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics downgraded its forecast for Taiwan’s economic growth to 3.28 percent, down from a forecast of 3.78 percent growth made in February.     [FULL  STORY]