The aggregate pretax profit posted by companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) market in the first half of this year soared more than 30 percent year-on-year, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said.
Data compiled by the FSC showed that companies listed on the local main board and the OTC market posted NT$1.93 trillion (US$60.36 billion) in profit before tax for the first half of this year, up 31.2 percent from a year earlier and the third-highest total in a decade.
First-half aggregate pretax profit only trailed NT$2.48 trillion recorded in the same period of 2022 and about NT$2 trillion seen in the first half of 2021, the data showed.
Photo: Kelson Wang, Taipei Times
In terms of consolidated sales, the data showed that companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange and OTC registered a 9.5 percent year-on-year increase in the first half of this year, with a value of NT$18.96 trillion.
Companies listed on the local main board posted NT$1.775 trillion in pretax profit, up 32.27 percent from a year earlier, while firms listed on the OTC market registered a 19.89 percent year-on-year increase in pretax profit at NT$152.5 billion.
Commenting on the profitability among listed companies on the main board, Securities and Futures Bureau Chief Secretary Shang Kuang-chi (尚光琪) said that the local semiconductor industry got a boost from global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) devices, while a rebound in the smartphone market also lent support to export-oriented manufacturers.
Shang said that the local computing industry saw its profitability improving in the wake of robust demand for AI servers.
In addition, tight supply of cargo shipping space pushed up freight rates and added momentum to the transportation sector.
Firms listed on the OTC market benefited from an increase in shipments of electronic components and foreign exchange gains, Shang said, adding that the cultural creative industry saw revenue increase on strong demand for gaming apps.
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