by Anton Shilov
01/20/2003 | 07:40 PM
We have already told you before that UMC had acquired about 5% shares of Silicon Integrated Systems. Today we received a bit shocking information from Silicon Strategies: UMC had purchased 14 million of SiS' Global Depositary Receipts, or 10.48% of its GDR shares, for $103.8 million. In total, UMC now owns 15.8% of SiS’ shares.
It seems that UMC’s purchase of SiS’ shares is not just a coincident. The company plans to gain its influence in the core-logic products developer and receive ability to force some decisions that should help UMC’s business. Given that it is in UMC’s interests to manufacture all semiconductor wafers for the Hsinchu-based partner, it becomes clear that SiS will be eventually sell-off its own 200mm fab, especially in case 15% of owners ask about it.