Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/15
By: Chang Chieh-chung and Frances Huang 

Taipei, Feb. 15 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a six-month low for sales in January, which analysts chalked up to weakening global demand.

In a statement released Friday, TSMC said it posted consolidated sales of NT$78.09 billion (US$2.53 billion) in January, down 13.1 percent from a month earlier and also down 2.1 percent from a year earlier.

It was the third consecutive month that TSMC’s monthly sales fell, and the January figure was the lowest since the company reported sales of NT$74.37 billion for July 2018, TSMC data showed.

Analysts felt slowing global demand was a bigger factor in the drop in sales than a production problem encountered by the company in January and reported to the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Jan. 29.    [FULL  STORY]