Listed companies posted a combined profit of NT$1.27 trillion (US$43.62 billion) from their overseas investment last year, led by the shipping, semiconductor and electronic components sectors, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said on Tuesday.
Last year’s figure represents an increase of NT$638 billion from 2020 and is the highest over the past decade.
Shipping companies reported combined gains of NT$427.3 billion from overseas investments, compared with NT$50.5 billion a year earlier, thanks to higher freight rates, the commission said.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Electronic component makers followed with investment gains of NT$163.2 billion, up 30.14 percent from NT$37.8 billion a year earlier, due to higher smartphone sales, while semiconductor companies ranked third with gains of NT$106.2 billion, up 135.48 percent from NT$45.1 billion.
Listed companies’ accumulated overseas investments had risen NT$342 billion to NT$7.15 trillion by the end of last year, a record high, the commission said, adding that most investments were for mergers and acquisitions, or the expansion of foreign units.
A total of 1,281 listed companies had invested overseas as of the end of last year, unchanged from a year earlier, the commission said.
Listed companies also registered a record profit of NT$552.3 billion from their investment in China, up 23.8 percent from NT$445.9 billion a year earlier and the highest level in 10 years, the commission said.
Electronics manufacturers posted the highest investment gains in China last year with NT$174.2 billion, an annual growth of 30 percent, followed by semiconductor firms with NT$51.4 billion, up 47 percent annually, and plastic makers with NT$39.2 billion, up 85 percent year-on-year, the commission said.
A total of 1,208 companies invested in China last year, nine more than a year earlier, with investments rising NT$17 billion from 2020.
Separately, four life insurers have applied to distribute total cash dividends of NT$30 billion this year, with several others likely to follow suit in the near term, the commission said on Thursday.
Cathay Life Insurance Co (國泰人壽) has applied to distribute cash dividends of NT$23.9 billion and Taiwan Life Insurance Co (台灣人壽保險) proposed to distribute NT$4.6 billion, while Farglory Life Insurance Co (遠雄人壽) and PCA Life Assurance Co Ltd (保誠人壽) plan to distribute a combined NT$1.5 billion, the commission said.
Fubon Life Insurance Co (富邦人壽), Nan Shan Life Insurance Co (南山人壽) and China Life Insurance Co (中國人壽) have said that they plan to offer shareholders cash dividends this year.
The commission last year approved five insurers’ plans to distribute a total cash dividend of NT$11.5 billion, higher than the NT$5 billion approved a year earlier.
Six major life insurers reported combined net profit of NT$338.7 billion for last year, which was 78 percent higher than a year earlier and the highest of all time.
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