SMIC recently released its report for the third quarter of 2023. During this period, SMIC achieved sales revenue of $1.62 billion (approximately RMB 11.794 billion), representing a 3.9% increase compared to the previous quarter. The gross margin was 19.8%, a decrease of 0.5% compared to the previous quarter. The net profit attributable to the owners of the parent company was RMB 3.675 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 60.86%. Operating revenue was RMB 33.098 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 12.35%. The basic earnings per share were RMB 0.46, a year-on-year decrease of 61.34%.
The company's overall shipment volume continued to increase, with a 9.5% increase compared to the previous quarter. However, due to the increased total production capacity to 796,000 wafers, the average capacity utilization rate decreased by 1.2 percentage points to 77.1%.
SMIC expects a 1%-3% increase in sales revenue for the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter. The gross margin will continue to face pressure from new capacity depreciation, expected to be between 16% and 18%. The annual capital expenditure is expected to be adjusted to around $7.5 billion.