每日英語跟讀 Ep.K557: Samsung to Cut Chip Production Amid 96% Drop in Profits
Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker, announced on Friday that it would make a significant cut to its chip production due to the sharp decline in global demand for semiconductors, which has sent prices plunging. The move follows a 96% drop in first-quarter profits, worse than expected. Other chipmakers, including SK Hynix and Micron Technology, have also reduced their production.
因全球對半導體的需求急劇下降，導致價格暴跌，全球最大晶片製造商三星在周五宣布將減少晶片產量。這個決定是在第一季利潤下跌96%之後做出的，這一利潤下跌情況比預期還糟。其他芯片製造商，包括SK海力士和美光科技，也已經減少了產量。
Smartphone and personal computer makers ramped up purchases of chips during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a global chip shortage. However, demand has waned as consumers cut back on bigger purchases amid the cost of living crisis, with food and energy bills soaring.
在Covid-19大流行期間，智慧型手機和個人電腦制造商大量購買晶片，導致全球晶片短缺。然而，隨著消費者在生活成本如食品和能源開支的危機下，需求逐漸減少。
Samsung said demand had dropped because of a weaker world economy and companies buying fewer chips as they run down their inventories. "We are lowering the production of memory chips by a meaningful level, especially that of products with supply secured," the company said, referring to customers with sufficient inventories.
三星表示，需求下降是因為全球經濟疲軟，企業試圖透過降低購買量來減少晶片的庫存。針對此三星表示：「我們正在大幅度降低記憶體晶片的生產，特別是供應充足的產品。」
Despite the cut, Samsung said it would continue to invest in infrastructure and research. However, it did not say whether it was sticking to its investment plans for this year. SK Hynix said in October it would more than halve its capital spending in 2023 compared with 2022, while Micron cut its investment plans by more than 30% in September.
儘管進行了減產，三星表示將繼續投資基礎設施和研究。但是，公司沒有說明是否會堅持今年的投資計劃。SK海力士去年十月表示，將在2023年將資本支出削減超過一半，而美光則在9月份削減了30%以上的投資計畫。
The news of the production cuts did not seem to worry investors, who hope that the output cut will support chip prices, which have fallen by 70% over the past nine months. Analysts are forecasting that Samsung's chip division, which usually generates about half of group profits, will report a record loss of 2.1tn won in the quarter.
減產的消息似乎沒有引起投資者的擔憂，他們希望減少產量能支撐晶片價格，過去九個月晶片價格已經下跌了70%。分析師預測，三星的晶片部門通常產生集團利潤的一半，將在該季度報告2.1兆韓元的紀錄虧損。
"The fact that the number one market share firm is joining production cuts lifted shares. SK Hynix and Micron have declared production cuts but only Samsung had not, so the market was watching for it. Today's production cut signal casts a positive outlook for a memory chip rebound in the second half of the year," said John Park, an analyst at Daishin Securities.
“市場份額第一的公司加入減產的事實提振了股票。SK海力士和美光已經宣布減產，但只有三星沒有，所以市場正在關注它。今天的減產信號為記憶體帶來了積極的前景，期待下半年的晶片反彈”，大信證券分析師John Park表示。
Samsung's estimated operating profit fell to 600bn won between January and March, from 14.12tn won a year earlier, the lowest profit for any quarter in 14 years. The company will report detailed figures later this month.
三星電子估計其營運利潤在一月至三月間從去年同期的14.12兆韓元下降至6000億韓元，是14年來任何一個季度的最低收益。公司將在本月晚些時候公布詳細數字。Reference article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/07/samsung-to-cut-chip-production-as-profits-plunge