Specialty DRAM and flash chipmaker Winbond Electronics has reported net profits jumped 350% sequentially to NT$1.59 billion (US$56.8 million) in the first quarter, with EPS reaching a 10-quarter high of NT$0.40.

Winbond also returned to profitability from losses during the same period in 2020. EPS for first-quarter 2021 exceeded the NT$0.33 reported for all of 2020.

Winbond posted revenues of NT$21.33 billion in the first quarter of 2021, up 4.8% on quarter and 84.7% from a year earlier, and hitting a record high. Gross margin came to 37.56%, rising 7.16pp sequentially and 13.43pp on year.

Winbond credited its positive performance during the first quarter to robust specialty DRAM and NOR flash demand, as well as rising product ASPs.

Market conditions will continue to favor Winbond in the second quarter, when the chipmaker will be running its fabs at full capacity utilization and is encouraged to raise chip prices. The global supply of NOR and SLC NAND flash chips will remain tight through the second half of this year, Winbond said.

Winbond's logic IC subsidiary Nuvoton Technology generated net profits of NT$270 million in the first quarter of 2021, with EPS reaching NT$0.70. Nuvoton saw its quarterly revenues top NT$10 billion for the first time in the first quarter, thanks to its acquisition of Panasonic's semiconductor business.

By: DocMemory
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