Shares of United Microelectronics (UMC) experienced a significant intraday surge, rising 15.86% on Tuesday. The move reflected a confluence of positive catalysts driving investor sentiment.
The rally was partly fueled by industry-wide optimism following a technological announcement from Huawei Technologies. The company revealed it had developed a workaround, termed the Tau Scaling Law, which allows for the design of more advanced chips without relying on specialty equipment blocked by U.S. export controls. This development is viewed as a potential tailwind for the broader semiconductor supply chain, including foundries like UMC.
Fundamental strength also underpinned the move. United Microelectronics recently reported robust first-quarter financial results, with net profit surging 108% year-over-year, significantly exceeding market expectations. Management highlighted positive pricing momentum, with average selling prices rising 8% in Q1 and guided for a further 5%-7% increase in the second quarter, supported by resilient demand.
Additionally, the company's recent launch of its new 14nm eHV FinFET platform for next-generation display driver ICs contributed to the positive outlook. The platform promises substantial improvements, delivering 40% lower power consumption and 35% chip area savings, thereby strengthening UMC's competitive positioning in specialty process technologies.