Everlight, Unity Opto Enjoy Rosy Sales in Q3, 2009

Taipei, Nov. 5, 2009 (CENS)--With Samsung and LG actively promoting LED (light emitting diode)-backlit LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs worldwide, two Taiwanese LED chip suppliers, Everlight Technology Co. and Unity Opto Technology Co., both scored robust sales performance in the third quarter of this year.

Due to LED-backlit LCD TVs becoming increasingly popular with consumers, Samsung has recently raised its sales projection of the product to 2.5 million units for this year from 2 million units set earlier, and set a sales goal of even 10 million units for 2010. Also, according to Chinese Electronic Chamber of Commerce, the scale of the Chinese market for LCD TVs is expected to reach 4 million units in 2010, up nearly fourfold from this year and to contribute 20% to the total LCD TV sales.

Aided by sales boom of LED-backlit LCD TVs, Unity Opto scored EPS (earnings per share) of NT$1.37 (US$0.042 at US$1: NT$32.5) in the third quarter of the year, double the second quarter. The firm recorded aggregate EPS of NT$2.52 (US$0.077) for the first nine months, 30 times the figure of a year earlier.

In fact, the firm's single-month revenue has hit new highs for six consecutive months and is very likely to challenge NT$500 million (US$15.38 million) in October. The firm noted that LED backlights for 18.5-inch and above large-sized display panels, along with those for notebook PCs, will serve as growth drives for its fourth-quarter sales.

Everlight also raked in net profits of NT$570 million (US$17.53 million) in the third quarter, surging 37% quarterly, and achieved a gross profit rate of 36.5%. In the first three quarters, the firm earned aggregate profits of NT$1.197 billion (US$36.8 million), or NT$3.28 (US$0.10) per share, as the most profitable among its Taiwanese counterparts.

The firm is to issue NT$2.8 billion (US$86.15 million) worth of new shares for capital increment to finance its expansion projects in 2010. The firm's production capacity of SMD (surface mount device) LEDs used in LED-backlit LCD TVs reaches one billion units presently, and is expected to surge over 40% next year.