TSMC Announces February 2009 Sales Report and Revises First-Quarter Business Guidance

- TSMC (TAIEX: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced its net sales for February 2009: on an unconsolidated basis, sales were approximately NT$11.50 billion, a decrease of 7.5 percent from January 2009 and a decrease of 59.5 percent from February 2008. Revenues for January through February 2009 totaled NT$23.94 billion, a decrease of 59.2 percent compared to the same period in 2008.

On a consolidated basis, net sales for February 2009 were approximately NT$ 12.18 billion, a decrease of 7.2 percent from January 2009 and a decrease of 58.4 percent from February 2008. Revenues for January through February 2009 totaled NT$25.30 billion, a decrease of 58.1 percent compared to the same period in 2008.

In addition, “TSMC’s first-quarter business is expected to be better than the company’s previous guidance given on January 22, 2009,” said Lora Ho, VP and Chief Financial Officer of TSMC. “Primarily due to quick orders from customers, especially from the mainland Chinese market, and a stronger US dollar, TSMC now expects first-quarter revenue to be between NT$36 billion and NT$38 billion, higher than the previous expectation of between NT$32 billion and NT$35 billion.”

TSMC’s expectation for first-quarter gross profit margin is now between 14% and 16%, and operating profit margin is between -2% and 0%, compared with the previous guidance of 1% to 5% for gross profit margin and -19% to -15% for the operating profit margin.