Summary of Semiconductor Industry Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focused on the global semiconductor industry, specifically discussing the WSTS report for December 2025, which tracks sales, units, and average selling prices (ASPs) across the semiconductor sector [2][27]. Key Financial Metrics - **2025 Semiconductor Sales**: Grew by 26% year-over-year, reaching approximately $792 billion, following a 20% increase in 2024 [3][28]. - **December 2025 Sales Growth**: Total semiconductor sales increased by 41.3% year-over-year, with memory sales growing by 67.6% year-over-year [3][29]. - **Monthly Sales Performance**: December sales rose by 4.8% month-over-month, significantly above the historical average of 2.2% [4][38]. Product Category Performance - **Logic Sales**: Increased by 40% year-over-year, leading the growth among product categories [28][32]. - **Memory Sales**: Grew by 35% year-over-year, with a notable 67.6% increase in December alone [3][29]. - **Analog Standard Linear**: Sales rose by 17%, while Discretes and Microcontroller Units (MCUs) saw declines of 1% each [28][32]. - **Monthly Performance by Product Group**: - Discretes: 18.3% growth vs. typical 14.5% - Optoelectronics: 14.2% vs. typical -0.1% - Logic: 3.7% vs. typical -1.1% - MCU: 13.8% vs. typical 11.6% [5][40]. Geographic Sales Insights - **Year-over-Year Sales Growth by Region**: - Americas: Up 32.5% - Europe: Up 23.3% - China: Up 40.3% - Asia Pacific/All Other: Up 77.6% - Japan: Down 11.3% [45]. - **Month-over-Month Sales Growth**: - Americas: Up 10.5% - China: Up 5.8% - Europe: Up 4.7% - Japan: Flattish at -0.7% - Asia Pacific/All Other: Down 1.2% [46]. Unit Shipments and ASPs - **Total Unit Shipments**: Increased by 9.6% month-over-month, with ASPs down by 4.4% [52]. - **Year-over-Year Shipment Growth**: Increased by 4.1%, with notable increases in Discretes, Optoelectronics, and Logic [53]. - **ASP Changes**: - ASPs increased for Discretes (6.3%), Optoelectronics (7.3%), and NAND (11.5%). - ASPs decreased for Sensors & Actuators (-4.6%) and Logic (-3.6%) [55][56]. Investment Implications - **ADI (Analog Devices)**: Rated Market-Perform with a target price of $270.00, executing well but shares considered expensive [11]. - **AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)**: Rated Market-Perform with a target price of $235.00, driven by high AI expectations and a new deal with OpenAI [11]. - **AVGO (Broadcom)**: Rated Outperform with a target price of $475.00, benefiting from a strong AI trajectory [11]. - **NVDA (NVIDIA)**: Rated Outperform with a target price of $275.00, with significant opportunities in the datacenter market [13]. - **QCOM (Qualcomm)**: Rated Outperform with a target price of $175.00, despite memory headwinds, shares are considered cheap [14]. Additional Insights - The semiconductor industry is experiencing robust growth driven by various product categories, particularly logic and memory, with significant regional disparities in performance. - The overall market sentiment remains positive, with several companies positioned for growth amid ongoing technological advancements and demand for semiconductors.

Core Viewpoint - United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) reported a year-over-year increase in net sales for January 2026, indicating a positive growth trend in revenue [1]. Financial Performance - UMC's revenues for January 2026 reached NT$20,862,150 thousand, compared to NT$19,806,795 thousand in January 2025, marking an increase of NT$1,055,355 thousand [1]. - The year-over-year growth rate for January 2026 is 5.33% [1].

Group 1: Company Overview - United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) is a significant player in the semiconductor industry, providing integrated circuit manufacturing services and competing with major foundries like TSMC and GlobalFoundries [1] - UMC's operations are vital in the tech supply chain, affecting sectors from consumer electronics to automotive [1] Group 2: Financial Performance and Market Position - UMC's recent Q4 2025 earnings call provided insights into its financial health, focusing on key metrics such as revenue and profit margins, which are essential for assessing the company's market position [3][6] - UMC's current stock price is $11.40, reflecting a decrease of approximately 8.62%, with fluctuations between $11.23 and $11.86 during the trading day [4] - Over the past year, UMC's stock has experienced significant volatility, with a high of $12.68 and a low of $5.66 [4] - UMC's market capitalization is approximately $28.44 billion, indicating its substantial presence in the semiconductor industry [5] Group 3: Analyst Ratings and Price Target - BNP Paribas set a price target of $8.60 for UMC, suggesting a potential decrease of approximately -24.50% from its current stock price of $11.39 [2][6] - The downgrade to "Underperform" from "Neutral" reflects a cautious outlook on UMC's future performance in the semiconductor industry [2][6]

Core Insights - United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) reported a consolidated revenue of NT$61.81 billion (US$1.97 billion) for Q4 2025, marking a 4.5% increase from Q3 2025 and a 2.4% increase year-on-year [1] - The company's earnings per share (EPS) for Q4 2025 was NT$0.81 (US$0.129), with net income attributable to shareholders of NT$10.06 billion (US$320 million) [1] - UMC's 22/28nm technology revenue contributed 36% to wafer revenue, with a significant 31% quarter-on-quarter increase in 22nm revenue [1] Financial Performance - Q4 2025 operating revenues reached NT$61.81 billion, up from NT$59.13 billion in Q3 2025, and NT$60.39 billion in Q4 2024 [1] - Gross profit for Q4 2025 was NT$18.96 billion, representing a gross margin of 30.7% [1] - Operating income increased by 10.0% quarter-on-quarter to NT$12.23 billion [1] Capacity and Utilization - UMC's wafer shipments in Q4 2025 were 994K, a slight decrease of 0.6% from Q3 2025, with an overall capacity utilization rate of 78% [1] - Total capacity for Q4 2025 was 1,305K 12-inch equivalent wafers, expected to decrease to 1,283K in Q1 2026 due to annual maintenance [1] Strategic Initiatives - UMC is focusing on expanding its footprint in the U.S. through partnerships, including a collaboration with Intel on 12nm technology and a Memorandum of Understanding with Polar Semiconductor [1] - The company inaugurated a Circular Economy and Recycling Innovation Center aimed at reducing waste generated by its Taiwan fabs by up to one-third [2] Market Outlook - UMC anticipates firm wafer demand in Q1 2026, with expectations for continued growth in 2026 driven by advancements in 22nm platforms and new solutions [1] - The company aims to leverage advanced packaging and silicon photonics as new growth catalysts to meet the evolving needs of high-performance applications across various sectors [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenue for Q4 2025 was TWD 61.81 billion, with a gross margin of approximately 30.7% [4] - Net income attributable to shareholders was TWD 10.06 billion, resulting in earnings per share (EPS) of 0.81 NT dollars [4] - Revenue grew 4.5% quarter-over-quarter and 2.3% year-over-year, reaching TWD 237.5 billion for the full year of 2025 [6][7] - Gross margin improved to 30.7%, with net income for 2025 at TWD 41.7 billion, representing a net income rate of 17.6% [6][7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the IDM segment remained stable at about 20% for Q4, while it increased to 19% for the full year, up 3 percentage points from the previous year [8] - The consumer application segment increased by 3 percentage points to 31% of total revenue for the year [9] - The 22 and 28-nanometer revenue segments accounted for 36% of total revenue in Q4 2025, with 22-nanometer revenue increasing to 31% quarter-on-quarter [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America represented about 21% of revenue in Q4 2025, down from 25% in 2024 [8] - The company expects wafer demand to remain firm in 2026, with a projected growth rate for the semiconductor industry in the mid-teens [17] - The foundry market is projected to grow in the low 20% range, despite potential pressures from memory pricing [18] Company Strategy and Development Direction - UMC is focusing on expanding its 22-nanometer platform and investing in capacity and technology for future growth [12] - The company aims to enhance its footprint in the U.S. through partnerships, such as the collaboration with Intel on the 12-nanometer project [12] - Advanced packaging and silicon photonics are expected to serve as new growth catalysts, addressing high-performance applications across various sectors [13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in 2026 being another growth year, driven by the 22-nanometer platform and new solutions gaining traction [12] - The leadership in specialty technologies is expected to sustain business growth, with a focus on optimizing product mix and improving ASP [13] - The company anticipates a more favorable pricing environment in 2026 compared to 2025, supported by disciplined pricing strategies and product mix optimization [19] Other Important Information - The cash-based capital expenditure (CapEx) budget for 2026 is projected at $1.5 billion, slightly down from $1.6 billion in 2025 [10] - The company expects a low teens annual increase in depreciation expenses for 2026 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Overall market outlook for 2026 - Management expects AI-related segments to drive growth in the semiconductor industry, with a projected mid-teens growth rate [17] Question: Pricing outlook for mature foundry - A more favorable ASP environment is anticipated in 2026, reflecting a disciplined pricing strategy and improved product mix [19] Question: Capacity ramp in Singapore - Capacity increase for 2026 is expected to be around 1.2% year-over-year, with expansion starting in the second half of 2026 [23] Question: Impact of memory price hikes on demand - Management has not observed significant demand impact from memory price hikes, with expectations for revenue contributions from consumer segments to increase [31] Question: Revenue contribution from advanced packaging - Advanced packaging revenue is expected to grow significantly in 2027, with more than 20 new tape outs anticipated in 2026 [81] Question: Competitive advantage in silicon photonics - UMC's collaboration with imec is expected to deliver industry-standard PDKs by 2027, with a focus on 12-inch technology [94]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenue for Q4 2025 was TWD 61.81 billion, with a gross margin of approximately 30.7% [4] - Net income attributable to shareholders was TWD 10.06 billion, resulting in earnings per share (EPS) of TWD 0.81 [4][6] - Year-over-year revenue growth for 2025 was 2.3%, totaling TWD 237.5 billion, while gross margin for the year was around 29% [6][7] - Cash reserves exceeded TWD 110 billion, with total equity at TWD 379.8 billion at the end of 2025 [7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the IDM segment remained stable at about 20% for Q4, while it increased to 19% for the full year [8] - The consumer application segment grew from 28% to 31% year-over-year, indicating a strong demand for 22 nm technology [9] - Revenue from 22 nm and 28 nm technologies represented 36% of total revenue in Q4 2025, with 22 nm revenue increasing by 31% quarter-on-quarter [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America represented 21% of revenue in Q4 2025, down from 25% in 2024 [8] - The company noted a decline in capacity utilization by roughly 1% due to annual maintenance schedules [9] - The forecast for 2026 CapEx is around $1.5 billion, slightly down from $1.6 billion in 2025 [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - UMC aims to expand its footprint in the U.S. through partnerships, including a collaboration with Intel on 12 nm technology [12] - Advanced packaging and silicon photonics are expected to serve as new growth catalysts, addressing high-performance applications across various sectors [13] - The company is focused on optimizing its product mix and gradually improving ASP and margins in response to market dynamics [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects wafer demand to remain firm in 2026, with AI-related segments as primary growth drivers [17] - The semiconductor industry is projected to grow by mid-teens in 2026, with UMC expected to outperform its addressable market [18] - Management acknowledged potential pressures from memory supply imbalances but remains optimistic about overall demand [22] Other Important Information - The company is working on enhancing its advanced packaging capabilities, with expectations for significant revenue growth in 2027 [81] - UMC's specialty technology revenue currently represents about 50% of overall revenue, with high voltage making up 30% of that [74] Q&A Session Summary Question: Overall market outlook for 2026 - Management expects AI-related segments to drive growth, with the semiconductor industry projected to grow by mid-teens [17][18] Question: Pricing outlook for mature foundry - A more favorable ASP environment is anticipated in 2026, supported by disciplined pricing strategies and product mix optimization [19][20] Question: Capacity ramp in Singapore - Capacity increase for 2026 is expected to be around 1.2% year-over-year, with expansion starting in the second half of 2026 [23] Question: Revenue contribution from advanced packaging - Advanced packaging revenue is expected to grow significantly in 2027, with more than 20 new tape outs anticipated [81] Question: Impact of memory price inflation on demand - Management has not observed significant demand impacts from memory price inflation, focusing on high-end market segments [62] Question: Competitive advantage in silicon photonics - UMC's collaboration with imec is expected to deliver industry-standard PDKs, with a focus on 12-inch technology [95][96]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenue for Q4 2025 was TWD 61.81 billion, with a gross margin of 30.7% and net income of TWD 10.06 billion, resulting in an EPS of 0.81 NT dollars [5][6] - Revenue grew 4.5% quarter-over-quarter and 2.3% year-over-year, reaching TWD 237.5 billion for the full year of 2025 [6][12] - Gross margin improved to 30.7%, with net income for 2025 at TWD 41.7 billion, reflecting a net income rate of 17.6% [6][7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the IDM segment remained stable at about 20% for Q4, while for the full year, it increased to 19%, up by 3 percentage points [8] - The consumer application segment increased by 3 percentage points to 31% from 28% year-over-year, with 22-nanometer technology being a key growth driver [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America represented 21% of revenue in Q4 2025, down from 25% in 2024 to 22% in 2025, while Asia and Europe saw increases [8] - The 22-nanometer revenue increased to 31% quarter-on-quarter, accounting for over 13% of total Q4 revenue [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - UMC aims to expand its footprint in the U.S. through partnerships, including a collaboration with Intel on a 12-nanometer project [13][14] - The company is focusing on advanced packaging and silicon photonics as new growth catalysts, addressing high-performance applications across various sectors [14][48] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects wafer demand to remain firm in 2026, with a projected growth year supported by the 22-nanometer platform and new solutions [12][13] - The semiconductor industry is projected to grow by mid-teens in 2026, with UMC expected to outperform its addressable market [18][19] Other Important Information - The 2026 CapEx plan is around $1.5 billion, slightly down from $1.6 billion in 2025 [11] - The company anticipates a more favorable ASP environment in 2026, driven by disciplined pricing strategies and product mix optimization [20][21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Overall market outlook for 2026 - Management expects AI-related segments to drive growth, with the semiconductor industry projected to grow by mid-teens [18] Question: Pricing outlook for mature foundry - A more favorable ASP environment is anticipated in 2026, supported by product mix optimization and reduced exposure to commoditized segments [20][21] Question: Capacity ramp in Singapore - Capacity increase for 2026 is expected to be around 1.2% year-over-year, with expansion starting in the second half of 2026 [24] Question: Impact of memory pricing on demand - Management has not observed significant demand impact from memory pricing increases, focusing on high-end market segments [66] Question: Revenue contribution from advanced packaging - Advanced packaging revenue is expected to grow significantly in 2027, with more than 20 new tape outs anticipated in 2026 [88] Question: Competitive advantage in silicon photonics - UMC's collaboration with imec aims to deliver industry-standard PDKs by 2027, focusing on 12-inch technology [101][102]

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This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to anticipated quarterly Fab capacity, foundry capital expenditure plan and other statemen ...

Group 1: United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) - UMC shares increased by 15.9% to close at $10.78, supported by high trading volume, and have gained 14.4% over the past four weeks [1] - The company is experiencing increased demand for 22-nanometer technology, as well as growth in smartphone and notebook sales, contributing to a broad market recovery [1] - UMC is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 20%, with revenues projected at $1.88 billion, up 2.1% from the previous year [2] Group 2: Earnings Estimates and Stock Performance - The consensus EPS estimate for UMC has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating that stock price movements may not sustain without trends in earnings estimate revisions [3] - UMC currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting a neutral outlook [3] - In comparison, Diodes (DIOD), another company in the same semiconductor industry, has a consensus EPS estimate of $0.26, which is a decrease of 3.7% from the previous year, and also holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [4]