Key iPhone provider Foxconn posted “better-than-expected” earnings in its third quarter, with management on Tuesday attributing the shock bounce to demand forward of the vacation season. 

The agency — additionally identified by its official identify Hon Hai Precision Business — is the world’s largest contract electronics producer and assembles gadgets for a number of corporations, most notably Apple’s iPhones.

It stated web revenue for July-September rose to Tw$43.1 billion (US$1.3 billion) from Tw$38.8 billion in the identical interval final yr. 

“We have now entered the normal peak season within the second half and our operations are set to regularly enhance quarter on quarter,” CEO Younger Liu stated throughout an earnings name. 

“These performances have been higher than anticipated within the first half of the yr.”

Tuesday’s outcomes observe consecutive quarterly revenue misses — with January-March seeing a drop of 56 p.c and a one p.c fall within the subsequent three months.

Liu added that he anticipated “sturdy progress in income” for shopper good merchandise in the course of the fourth quarter.

Foxconn is China’s largest private-sector employer, with greater than 1,000,000 employees nationwide. 

However the firm — in addition to key consumer Apple — has been seeking to diversify its manufacturing provide chain after it noticed manufacturing affected by strict Covid restrictions in China and diplomatic tensions with the USA. 

Final month, Chinese language state-run media World Occasions reported that Foxconn was below land use and tax investigations for its websites in central Hunan and Hubei provinces, although no particulars on the offences have been supplied. 

Chief monetary officer David Huang sought to reassure traders throughout Tuesday’s name. 

“At current, the group’s manufacturing and operations are all regular,” he stated. “We’ll actively cooperate with the operations of related models and hope to finish the related work as quickly as doable to alleviate everybody’s considerations concerning the uncertainty.”

Taiwan’s nationwide safety chief on Monday stated the tax probe was “political”, as billionaire founder Terry Gou is working for president of the democratically dominated island. 

Liu stated he didn’t “have any crystal ball presently” on the election consequence, or on China’s potential response if Gou wins. 

“I do not know what is going on to occur. However from the administration crew’s perspective, we must be ready for all of the doable circumstances,” Liu stated. “I want (Gou) one of the best — that is all I can say.”

Gou — who gave up his Foxconn administration reins 4 years in the past — is at present polling final among the many main candidates, with Vice President Lai Ching-te the present frontrunner.

Taiwan’s Central Election Fee introduced Tuesday that Gou had collected sufficient legitimate signatures of assist, making him eligible to formally register as a candidate.

aw-dhc/dan