TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cheng Mei Materials Technology Chair Sung Yen-i (宋妍儀) said the company is undergoing a transformation and will expand into the production of semiconductor packaging materials, with mass production expected to begin in 2028. Cheng Mei Materials Technology is a major global maker of polarizers, key components used in LCD TVs, smartphones, automotive displays, and wearable devi...
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cheng Mei Materials Technology Chair Sung Yen-i (宋妍儀) said the company is undergoing a transformation and will expand into the production of semiconductor packaging materials, with mass production expected to begin in 2028. Cheng Mei Materials Technology is a major global maker of polarizers, key components used in LCD TVs, smartphones, automotive displays, and wearable devices. The company plans to focus more on making polarizers for automotive displays and wearable devices to drive sales growth, per CNA . The company said that it generated NT$8.64 billion (US$275 million) in revenue last year, down 3.18% from 2024. It reported a net loss after tax of NT$1.46 billion. The firm attributed the downturn to the appreciation of the Taiwan dollar, rising material costs, and a slowdown in the display sector. It has halted production of some lower-margin products to help reduce losses. Sung said the company will invest more than NT$2.2 billion to develop film materials for semiconductor packaging. She added the company’s tapes used in packaging have begun shipments this year. Yang Chao-chih (楊朝智), the company’s chief financial officer, said the advanced semiconductor packaging market could grow to NT$2.5 trillion by 2030. He noted that Taiwan holds a 55% share of the global chip assembly and testing market, but still depends on imports for 90% of its high-end materials. To seize business opportunities, the company will use its experience in adhesives and coatings to produce semiconductor packaging materials. The company will also buy more production equipment, adjust existing production lines, and build semiconductor-grade cleanrooms. As demand for AI, high-performance computing, and high-speed communications grows, advanced packaging technology is key to improving chip performance, power efficiency, and reducing chip size, Yang added.
Asian Refiners Mull Slashing Crude Processing As Iran War Threatens Supply By Michael Kern of OilPrice.com Asian refiners, particularly state-held majors heavily dependent on Middle East oil supply, are considering slashing crude run rates by up to 30% amid the war in Iran that is holding up millions of barrels of Middle Eastern crude stuck near the Strait of Hormuz. The de facto halted shipments ...
Asian Refiners Mull Slashing Crude Processing As Iran War Threatens Supply By Michael Kern of OilPrice.com Asian refiners, particularly state-held majors heavily dependent on Middle East oil supply, are considering slashing crude run rates by up to 30% amid the war in Iran that is holding up millions of barrels of Middle Eastern crude stuck near the Strait of Hormuz. The de facto halted shipments via the Strait of Hormuz threaten to delay key cargo deliveries that Asian refiners have contracted in recent weeks. Just before the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran this weekend, Asia, particularly China, planned for a major uptick in purchases of crude from the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, slashed its official selling prices (OSPs) for Asia to the lowest level versus regional benchmarks in more than five years. Saudi Arabia set the price of its flagship Arab Light grade at parity versus the Oman/Dubai average, which is the lowest pricing versus the benchmark since December 2020, making its oil attractive for buyers in China and the wider Asian region. However, the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed with companies and shippers diverting vessels or idling in waters near the vital oil and gas shipping lane. The logjam would delay, at best, the supply many refiners had planned to receive this month. As dozens of oil tankers are still stuck in the Persian Gulf without a way out of the Strait of Hormuz, for now, some of the big refiners in China and Japan are considering slashing crude processing rates by 20-30%, sources familiar with internal discussions at these refiners told Bloomberg on Tuesday. The immediate impact of the tanker traffic halt in the Middle East is high for crude oil supply, according to estimates by Kpler. Asian energy security would be affected as India and China are the dominant Asian buyers of Strait-transiting crude, the energy intelligence firm noted. Refiners typically have at least two weeks of supply to cushion ...
Given the market's recent pullback, many investors are likely scouring their watchlists for oversold stocks with durable long-term growth stories. Two popular companies with clear long-term tailwinds that have been hit particularly hard in early 2026 are Tesla (TSLA 2.56%) and Amazon (AMZN +0.15%). Both businesses are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and are well-positioned to ben...
Given the market's recent pullback, many investors are likely scouring their watchlists for oversold stocks with durable long-term growth stories. Two popular companies with clear long-term tailwinds that have been hit particularly hard in early 2026 are Tesla (TSLA 2.56%) and Amazon (AMZN +0.15%). Both businesses are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and are well-positioned to benefit from its ongoing adoption. Down about 12% and 10% year to date, respectively, at the time of this writing, these stocks offer investors a way to consider investing in the AI theme. But is Tesla a buy on the dip, or is Amazon the better choice? Tesla: The AI hardware transition Tesla reminded investors of its ongoing transition from a traditional automaker to a physical AI company recently when it announced its fourth-quarter results. Highlighting the company's progress in physical AI, management noted that its active Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscriber base grew 38% year over year to 1.1 million during the period. The electric vehicle maker even began removing safety monitors from its Robotaxis (self-driving vehicles in the company's nascent ride-sharing service) in Austin in January. Of course, the problem for Tesla is not the company's ambitious vision for autonomous driving. It is the current reality of the core automotive business. Tesla's total automotive revenue fell 11% year over year in the fourth quarter to $17.7 billion. Further, the company's overall operating margin declined from 6.2% in the year-ago period to 5.7%. Expand NASDAQ : TSLA Tesla Today's Change ( -2.56 %) $ -10.32 Current Price $ 393.00 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.5T Day's Range $ 385.43 - $ 396.32 52wk Range $ 214.25 - $ 498.83 Volume 3.2M Avg Vol 66M Gross Margin 18.03 % Still, it's worth noting that the company continues to generate meaningful cash. Tesla's free cash flow (net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures) for the quarter checked in at a solid $1.4 ...
Key Points Tesla and Amazon shares are down about 12% and 10% year to date, respectively, amid recent market volatility. Amazon's cloud computing revenue rose 24% year over year in its most recent quarter. Tesla has seen its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscriptions surge. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › Given the market's recent pullback, many investors are likely scouring their watchli...
Key Points Tesla and Amazon shares are down about 12% and 10% year to date, respectively, amid recent market volatility. Amazon's cloud computing revenue rose 24% year over year in its most recent quarter. Tesla has seen its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscriptions surge. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › Given the market's recent pullback, many investors are likely scouring their watchlists for oversold stocks with durable long-term growth stories. Two popular companies with clear long-term tailwinds that have been hit particularly hard in early 2026 are Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). Both businesses are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and are well-positioned to benefit from its ongoing adoption. Down about 12% and 10% year to date, respectively, at the time of this writing, these stocks offer investors a way to consider investing in the AI theme. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » But is Tesla a buy on the dip, or is Amazon the better choice? Tesla: The AI hardware transition Tesla reminded investors of its ongoing transition from a traditional automaker to a physical AI company recently when it announced its fourth-quarter results. Highlighting the company's progress in physical AI, management noted that its active Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscriber base grew 38% year over year to 1.1 million during the period. The electric vehicle maker even began removing safety monitors from its Robotaxis (self-driving vehicles in the company's nascent ride-sharing service) in Austin in January. Of course, the problem for Tesla is not the company's ambitious vision for autonomous driving. It is the current reality of the core automotive business. Tesla's total automotive revenue fell 11% year over year in the fourth quarter to $17.7 billion. Fur...
Earnings Call Insights: GitLab Inc. (GTLB) Q4 2026 Management View CEO William Staples highlighted that "ARR surpassed $1 billion. We generated $220 million in free cash flow, an increase of over 80% and nearly 7 percentage points of margin expansion year-over-year." He stated that FY '26 and Q4 delivered GitLab's highest absolute net new ARR and emphasized five strategies to accelerate growth in ...
Earnings Call Insights: GitLab Inc. (GTLB) Q4 2026 Management View CEO William Staples highlighted that "ARR surpassed $1 billion. We generated $220 million in free cash flow, an increase of over 80% and nearly 7 percentage points of margin expansion year-over-year." He stated that FY '26 and Q4 delivered GitLab's highest absolute net new ARR and emphasized five strategies to accelerate growth in FY '27: reaccelerating first orders, scaling sales capacity, expanding product packaging, engaging price-sensitive customers, and executing on the AI strategy. Staples announced the launch of the GitLab Duo Agent Platform, a new intelligent orchestration platform, and a hybrid seat/usage pricing model. He also revealed a major customer win in the semiconductor industry for over 5,000 users and referenced strong expansion with clients such as Indeed and Mercedes-Benz. Staples noted, "In Q4, we added the most $1 million customers in GitLab's history. Gross retention is consistent with historical trends and churn is at its lowest it's been in 4 years. Ultimate is now 56% of ARR and accounted for 9 of the top 10 deals." CFO Jessica Ross, on her first call, stated, "Fiscal 2026 was a strong year. Revenue grew 26% to $955 million. Non-GAAP operating margin reached 17%, up approximately 680 basis points year-over-year. Adjusted free cash flow grew 83% to $220 million." Ross also announced GitLab's first $400 million share repurchase program and detailed investments in growth areas, maintaining $1.3 billion in cash and investments. Outlook Ross provided FY '27 guidance: "For Q1 FY '27, we expect total revenue of $253 million to $255 million representing approximately 18% to 19% year over year growth... For full year FY '27, we expect total revenue of $1.099 billion to $1.118 billion, representing approximately 15% to 17% year-over-year growth." Non-GAAP net income per share is projected at $0.76 to $0.80 for the year. Management indicated assumptions of minimal FY '27 revenue contr...
Earnings Call Insights: Cricut, Inc. (CRCT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ashish Arora stated that while there was increased profitability and growth in paid subscribers and global machine sell-out units, the company was "disappointed in the lack of total company sales growth for both Q4 and 2025." He added, "We are working with tremendous urgency and focus to drive a mass market experience, acceler...
Earnings Call Insights: Cricut, Inc. (CRCT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ashish Arora stated that while there was increased profitability and growth in paid subscribers and global machine sell-out units, the company was "disappointed in the lack of total company sales growth for both Q4 and 2025." He added, "We are working with tremendous urgency and focus to drive a mass market experience, accelerate our development cycles and compete better." Arora highlighted the launch of two new cutting machines, a mini heat press, new materials, and significant improvements in the software platform, including AI features and guided project flows. He emphasized, "We are relentlessly focused on increasing our speed of execution and are accelerating investments that will help drive future revenue growth." In 2026, the company will "lean even more into our bundle first strategy, with a cohesive out-of-box experience that includes tools and materials with the machine, along with a tightly integrated guided software flow." CFO Kimball Shill reported, "In the fourth quarter, we delivered revenue of $203.6 million, a 3% decline compared to the prior year. Full year 2025 revenue was $708.8 million, less than a 1% decline from 2024. We generated $7.8 million in net income or 3.8% of total sales in Q4." He noted, "Q4 2025 revenue from Platform was $83.9 million, up 6% year-on-year. We ended the year with just over 3.09 million paid subscribers, which is up 132,000 or more than 4% year-on-year and up 87,000 or 3% from Q3." Shill also stated, "International sales were positive at $57.8 million, an increase of 9%, compared to Q4 2024. As a percentage of total revenue, international was 28% in Q4 2025, compared with 25% of total revenue in Q4 2024." Outlook Shill explained, "We are focused on bringing excitement to our category. We are doing this by accelerating our investments in R&D, new product launches and marketing, including international markets and continuing our promotional strategy ...