Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, consolidated revenue was NT$ 8.9 billion with a gross margin of approximately 28.7% [6][8] - Net income attributable to shareholders was NT$ 8.9 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) of NT$ 0.71, up from NT$ 0.62 in the previous quarter [8][12] - Utilization rate increased from 59% in Q1 to 76% in Q2, contributing to a 1.6% sequential revenue increase [7][12] - For the first half of 2025, revenue increased by 4.7% year-over-year, while gross margin decreased from 33.1% in the same period of 2024 to 27.7% [8][9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the 22 and 28 nanometer portfolio accounted for 40% of total sales, marking a record high [12][13] - The consumer segment's revenue contribution decreased to 33%, while the communication segment increased to 41% [9][10] - The revenue from below 40 nanometer technology represented more than half of total revenue, reaching 55% in Q2 [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue breakdown showed Europe at 8%, Asia at 67%, and ICM at 19%, with slight changes from the previous quarter [9] - The company noted a healthy demand in the automotive and industrial segments, while consumer and communication segments remained stable [35][36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to enhance supply chain resilience through the new Phase III facility in Singapore, set to start production in 2026 [13][14] - UMC aims to maintain and improve ASP resilience by differentiating technology offerings and increasing revenue contributions from advanced nodes [20][21] - The focus remains on specialty technology solutions, particularly in high voltage and low power applications, to reduce competition with Chinese foundries [70][71] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed caution regarding the impact of U.S. tariff policies and geopolitical uncertainties on demand [14][29] - The company anticipates a mild increase in wafer shipments for Q3, but expects NT dollar revenue to decline due to adverse foreign exchange movements [15][16] - The overall growth outlook for 2025 remains unchanged, with expectations to outgrow the addressable market [54][55] Other Important Information - The cash-based capital expenditure budget for 2025 remains unchanged at US$ 1.8 billion [10][17] - The company is closely monitoring foreign exchange exposure and maintaining financial flexibility to enhance resilience [14][15] Q&A Session Summary Question: ASP trend outlook for 2026 - Management does not provide guidance beyond 2025 but aims to maintain ASP resilience through technology differentiation and product mix [20][21] Question: Tariff impacts on customer behavior - There is observed demand upside in Q2 and Q3, partly driven by inventory buildup in anticipation of potential U.S. tariffs [28][29] Question: Advanced packaging technology development - UMC is preparing advanced packaging solutions to address energy consumption needs in cloud AI and edge AI markets [31][32] Question: Gross margin recovery pathway - Management aims to improve gross margins through technology development and improved product mix, with a realistic goal to return to mid-30s gross margins [45][48] Question: Utilization rates in China - The China facility is running at full capacity, above corporate average, with no pricing differentiation between locations [94]

J P M O R G A N Europe Equity Research 09 May 2025 First Principles - Advanced packaging European Tech Hardware & Payments Sandeep Deshpande AC (44-20) 7134-5276 sandeep.s.deshpande@jpmorgan.com J.P. Morgan Securities plc Craig A McDowell (44-20) 7742-4576 craig.mcdowell@jpmorgan.com J.P. Morgan Securities plc Anchal Sahu (91-22) 6157-3038 anchal.sahu@jpmchase.com J.P. Morgan India Private Limited Specialist Sales contact details: Scott Silver - Specialist Sales - European TMT (44-20) 7134-0412 scott.silver ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company recorded fully diluted EPS of $1.64 and basic EPS of $1.75 for the first quarter, with consolidated net revenues declining by 9% sequentially but increasing by 12% year over year [9][12] - Gross profit was NT$24.9 billion with a gross margin of 16.8%, improving by 0.4 percentage points sequentially and 1.1 percentage points year over year [10][12] - Operating profit was NT$9.7 billion, down NT$1.5 billion sequentially but up NT$2.2 billion year over year, with an operating margin decline of 0.4 percentage points sequentially and an improvement of 0.9 percentage points year over year [11][12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the ATM business, revenues were NT$86.7 billion, down NT$1.7 billion sequentially but up NT$12.8 billion year over year, representing a 2% decline sequentially and a 17% increase annually [15] - The EMS business reported revenues of NT$62.3 billion, declining NT$12.6 billion or 17% sequentially, while increasing NT$2.9 billion or 5% year over year [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a potential shallower seasonal dip in EMS business due to customers adjusting order flow patterns, indicating a more stable demand environment [6][23] - The computing segment within the ATM business saw significant growth, particularly driven by stable high demand for AI products, while other segments like handsets were seasonally impacted [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to minimize short-term noise to focus on long-term signals, emphasizing the importance of technological trends and process improvements to maintain competitive advantages [7][8] - The company is committed to increasing its market share in the testing segment, targeting a contribution of 19% to 20% of overall ATM revenue by year-end [21][22] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the second quarter outlook, expecting ATM revenues to grow by 9% to 11% quarter over quarter, while EMS revenues are projected to decline by 10% year over year [30][31] - The management acknowledged the challenges posed by macroeconomic volatility but remains focused on long-term strategic investments [6][8] Other Important Information - The company anticipates a peak in net debt to equity ratio at around 60% in the third quarter of the year, with total unused credit lines amounting to NT$358.4 billion [26] - Capital expenditures for the first quarter totaled NT$892 million, with significant investments planned for machinery and equipment to support future product demands [27][28] Q&A Session Summary Question: AI test market share and CapEx on testing - Management confirmed aggressive investments in the test segment, aiming to increase market share, particularly in AI chip testing, with a target of reaching 20% of ATM revenue by year-end [34][36] Question: U.S. investments and capacity planning - The company is evaluating opportunities for operations in the U.S. to support customer demand, with no specific investment size or timing details available yet [42][44] Question: Market share in AI testing across different products - Management indicated that while they do not have a detailed breakdown of market share by product, they are focused on expanding their test business across all areas, including AI chips [47][49] Question: Impact of tariffs on business - Management stated that the direct exposure to U.S. tariffs is minimal, with less than 10% of EMS shipments going directly to the U.S., and they do not anticipate significant impacts from potential tariffs [93][94] Question: General demand outlook for consumer electronics and automotive - Management noted a gradual recovery in most sectors, with high-end automotive showing better momentum, while lower-end segments are still undergoing inventory corrections [97]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported fully diluted EPS of $1.64 and basic EPS of $1.75 for Q1 2025, with consolidated net revenues declining by 9% sequentially but increasing by 12% year over year [8][12] - Gross profit was NT$24.9 billion with a gross margin of 16.8%, improving by 0.4 percentage points sequentially and 1.1 percentage points year over year [9][10] - Operating profit was NT$9.7 billion, down NT$1.5 billion sequentially but up NT$2.2 billion year over year, with an operating margin of 7.1% [11][13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - ATM business revenues were NT$86.7 billion, down NT$1.7 billion sequentially but up NT$12.8 billion year over year, representing a 2% decline sequentially and a 17% increase annually [15] - EMS business revenues were NT$62.3 billion, declining NT$12.6 billion or 17% sequentially, while increasing NT$2.9 billion or 5% year over year [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a potential shallower seasonal dip in EMS business due to customers adjusting order flow patterns [6] - The computing segment within the ATM business saw significant growth, driven by stable high demand for AI products, while handsets and communications devices were seasonally impacted [18] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to minimize short-term noise to focus on long-term signals, emphasizing the importance of technological trends and process improvements [7][8] - The company is committed to expanding its test business, targeting a market share increase to 19%-20% of overall ATM revenue by year-end [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed concerns about volatility impacting long-term planning but remains focused on core industry trends [6][7] - For Q2 2025, ATM revenues are expected to grow by 9% to 11% quarter over quarter, while EMS revenues are projected to decline by 10% year over year [30][31] Other Important Information - The company anticipates a peak in net debt to equity ratio at around 60% in Q3 2025, with total unused credit lines amounting to NT$358.4 billion [25] - Capital expenditures for Q1 2025 totaled NT$892 million, with significant investments in testing operations [26][27] Q&A Session Summary Question: AI test market share increase - Management confirmed that the focus is on expanding market share in AI chip testing, particularly for GPUs, and emphasized the economic returns from test investments [34][37] Question: U.S. investments and capacity - Management is evaluating opportunities for U.S. operations to support customer needs but has not finalized investment details [40][42] Question: Market share in AI testing - Management stated they are a dominant player in wafer sort testing and are aggressively moving into final testing, expecting significant growth in the second half of the year [48][50] Question: Tariff impact - Management indicated that the direct exposure to U.S. tariffs is minimal, with less than 10% of EMS shipments going directly to the U.S. [94][96] Question: General demand outlook - Management noted a gradual recovery in consumer electronics, with automotive demand showing better momentum, particularly in high-end segments [97][98]