WASHINGTON: Seasonality will drag down specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor’s (VIS) revenues in the first quarter of 2017, which are forecast to decrease 1-5% sequentially. Customers have become cautious about ramping wafer starts after the year-end and Lunar New Year holidays, according to VIS spokesperson DL Tseng. VIS expects to post revenues of between NT$6.25 billion (US$203.5 million) and NT$6.55 billion for the first quarter of 2017, down from about NT$6.6 billion in the prior quarter. Gross margin and operating margin for the first quarter will be 32-34% and 21-23%, respectively, compared with 33.7% and 21.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016.
VIS generated net profits of NT$1.36 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, up 3.4% on quarter, with EPS reaching NT$0.83. VIS reported net profits of NT$5.54 billion on revenues of NT$25.83 billion for 2016, which represented on-year increases of 33.2% in profits and 10.8% in revenues. Both were also the highest annual figures in the company’s history. In addition, VIS disclosed its board of directors’ decision to distribute a cash dividend per share of NT$3 for 2016.
