Makers of passive devices decide on 2002 dividends

Taipei, April 17, 2003 (CENS)--Three listed local producers of electric passive devices have determined their dividends for last year's operations, with Luxon Electronics Corp. the only one not to deal out anything.

The other two companies are Taiwan Alpha Electronic Co., Ltd. And King Core Electronics Inc., both listed on the local over-the-counter bourse. Luxon Electronics is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE), however.

Luxon Electronics produces aluminum electrolytic capacitors. The company's board of directors decided not to distribute any dividends for 2002 because the firm suffered after-tax loss last year. The company will hold this year's shareholder meeting on May 28.

Taiwan Alpha is the largest domestic manufacturer of varistors (variable resistors). The company's shareholders, at the meeting for this year on April 15, passed the distribution of NT$2.5 in dividend per share, NT$1.5 in cash and NT$1.0 in stock, and authorized the directors board to invest up to US$1 million in the production of varistors in Guangdong Province, mainland China.

King Core specializes in producing inductors. The company's board of directors decided to pay out a stock dividend of NT$1.5 and a cash dividend of NT$0.5 per share for 2002 operation and convene this year's shareholder meeting on May 27.

On the other hand, Ichia Technologies, Inc., a TSE-listed local manufacturer of handset keyboards, decided to distribute dividend per share of NT$2 all in stock, at this year's shareholder meeting held on April 15. The shareholders also passed the company's 2002 financial report as follows: revenue of NT$1.439 billion (from domestic operation), net operating profit of NT$210 million, pretax profit of NT$411 million, after-tax profit of NT$341 million, and net (after-tax) earnings per share of NT$2.47.