UMC stock: Record wafer shipments support new expansion plan

Published on 11/02/2026 at 11:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

UMC stock follows record wafer shipments and stronger factory utilization. Management expects steady fourth-quarter demand and is accelerating capacity expansion.

UMC builds on stronger foundry demand

Third-quarter revenue rose 8.0 percent sequentially and 25.6 percent year over year.
Wafer shipments reached a quarterly record as utilization improved across the manufacturing network.
Management expects low-single-digit shipment growth and utilization in the low-90 percent range in the fourth quarter.

UMC, US9108734057, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

United Microelectronics Corporation reported its third-quarter 2026 results on Wednesday, October 28, covering the three months ended September 30. In a release carried by Business Wire, the Taiwanese semiconductor foundry said revenue increased to NT$74.24 billion, up 8.0 percent from the second quarter and 25.6 percent from the year-earlier period.

Utilization lifts operating performance

Gross margin rose to 34.0 percent from 32.5 percent in the second quarter and 29.8 percent a year earlier. Operating income increased 24.7 percent sequentially to NT$18.64 billion and 67.7 percent year over year. Net income attributable to shareholders reached NT$16.43 billion, 9.7 percent above the year-earlier quarter but 61.1 percent below the preceding period, which benefited from much higher investment gains.

UMC said wafer shipments climbed 7.3 percent sequentially to 1.212 million 12-inch-equivalent wafers, a quarterly record. Capacity utilization reached 92 percent, compared with 85 percent in the second quarter and 78 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Several 12-inch fabs operated at full capacity, while the company said its 8-inch operations recovered strongly.

The specialty-technology portfolio remained an important growth driver. Revenue from 22/28nm processes represented 35 percent of wafer revenue, while 22nm alone accounted for a record 18.3 percent. UMC also pointed to active customer engagement in advanced packaging and silicon photonics, including projects linked to future product launches.

Expansion raises the capacity focus

For the fourth quarter, management expects wafer shipments to increase by a low-single-digit percentage, U.S.-dollar average selling prices to remain firm, gross margin to stay comparable with the third quarter and utilization to remain in the low-90 percent range. Quarterly capacity is expected to rise to 1.337 million 12-inch-equivalent wafers from 1.325 million in the third quarter.

The board approved an additional capital-expenditure budget of approximately US$3.2 billion on October 28. UMC said the spending will accelerate expansion in Singapore and Tainan and align manufacturing capacity with customer roadmaps. Separately, the 2026 cash-based capital-expenditure budget remains US$2.0 billion.

UMC stock traded at 15.25 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 11:46 CET on Monday, November 2, 2026; investors can follow the real-time quote of United Microelectronics Corporation stock. The strong utilization trend supports near-term operating leverage, while the approved expansion increases the importance of execution, customer demand and capital discipline.

The S&P 500 provides the broader U.S. market backdrop for the companys New York-listed stock: current market reports.

For further company-specific developments, see more news and analyses on United Microelectronics Corporation stock.