Taipei, Nov. 7, 2012 (CENS)--F-TPK, a leading touch-panel maker in Taiwan, raked in NT$9.46 per share of net profits in the third quarter and NT$26.97 per share in the first three quarters this year, the highest among listed firms, reported the company yesterday (Nov. 6).
Thanks to continuing influx of orders, the company predicted that sales in the fourth quarter will grow 30%. Institutional investors estimated that the company will earn profits four times of its paid-in capital this year, the highest among listed firms on both the centralized and over-the-counter market.
At an investors' conference yesterday, Liu Shih-liang, chief financial officer of F-TPK, noted that for every 10 new tablet PCs and notebook PCs on the global market, 9.5 units contain touch panels supplied by TPK.
Apple's iPhone 5 embraces embedded touch panel, which is no longer supplied by TPK, triggering concern over TPK's business prospects in the market. Liu Shih-liang discounted the worry, citing the company's exceptional profit performance as proof. The company's after-tax net profits advanced 3.1% sequentially to NT$3.034 billion in the third quarter.
In the third quarter, the most profitable listed firm was Chang Hong Construction boasting EPS of NT$10.55, followed by TPK and Asus with EPS of NT$8.92.
Consolidated revenue of TPK jumped 26.6% year-on-year to NT$16.938 billion in October. Liu Shih-liang predicted that sales in the fourth quarter will leap 30%, beating 10-20% growth forecast by institutional investors. Operating profit rate will advance to 11.5-11.6% in the fourth quarter, up from 11.1% in the third quarter, according to Liu.
Liu reported that growth momentum for the fourth quarter will derive mainly from the launch of Win 8, which will trigger shipment of touch-screen notebook PC. Before the third quarter, TPK derived its growth momentum mainly from tablet PCs.
Thanks to the effect of its client diversification strategy, share of orders from Apple in TPK's sales already dropped to 55% in the third quarter, down from 76% in the second quarter, with two other major clients accounting for 10% each. Share price of TPK jumped NT$11.5 yesterday, closing at NT$399.
(by Philip Liu)
