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and we do not plan to rely in the foreseeable future, on off-balance sheet financing arrangements to finance our operations or expansion.
As of December 31, 2005, our primary source of liquidity was NT$26,263.3 million (US$800.7 million) of cash and cash equivalents and NT$1,586.5 million (US$48.4 million) of short-term investments. As of December 31, 2005, we had total short-term credit lines of NT$25,141.1 million (US$766.5 million), of which we had borrowed no outstanding amounts as of December 31, 2005. All of our short-term facilities are revolving with a term of one year, which may be extended for terms of one year each with lender consent. We are subject to restrictions on the sale, lease, transfer or other disposal of our assets under some of our short-term loan facilities. Our repayment obligations under our short-term loans are unsecured. We believe that our existing credit lines under our short-term loans, together with cash generated from our operations, are sufficient to finance our current working capital needs.
As of December 31, 2005, we had outstanding long-term borrowings of NT$81,773.0 million (US$2,493.1 million). The interest rates in respect of these long-term borrowings are variable, and as of December 31, 2005 ranged between 2.36% and 5.27% per year.
In November 2001, we issued an aggregate principal amount of NT$10,000.0 million of convertible bonds due November 2008. The convertible bonds have been fully converted into our shares as of October 2003. The convertible bonds had a stated interest rate of 2.0% and an effective interest rate of 4.50% . The initial conversion price was NT$15.80 per share, subject to adjustment. The conversion price was adjusted to NT$14.9 per share based on the resolution of our board of directors’ meeting on June 16, 2003, to reflect the stock dividend distributed in 2003. As of December 31, 2002 and 2003, the total principal amount of convertible bonds which had been converted into our shares totaled NT$8,748.7 million and NT$10,000.0 million, respectively, which amounted to NT$5,537.1 million and NT$6,376.0 million, respectively, for our shares and a premium of NT$3,315.3 million and NT$3,795.0 million, respectively, recorded as capital surplus.
In November 2003, we entered into a NT$35.0 billion seven-year syndicated credit facility, for which International Commercial Bank of China acted as the agent bank, for the purpose of funding the construction and purchase of machinery and equipment at our fabs. The syndication agreement for this facility contains covenants that require us to maintain certain financial ratios. Our obligations under this credit facility are secured by certain of our equipment and machinery. As of December 31, 2005, NT$35.0 billion (US$1.1 billion) had been drawn down under this credit facility. We issued NT$6.0 billion secured corporate bonds under this credit facility in April 2004.
In June 2004, we entered into a NT$55.0 billion and US$150.0 million seven-year syndicated credit facility, for which the Bank of Taiwan acted as the agent bank, for the purpose of funding the construction and purchase of machinery and equipment at our fabs. The syndication agreement for this facility contains covenants that require us to maintain certain financial ratios. Our obligations under this credit facility are secured by certain of our equipment and machinery. As of December 31, 2005, NT$20.0 billion (US$0.6 billion) and US$150.0 million has been drawn down under this credit facility. We issued NT$6.0 billion (US$0.2 billion) secured corporate bonds under this credit facility in June 2005.
In June 2004, we issued an aggregate of 30,000,000 ADSs representing 300,000,000 shares of our common stock. The net proceeds from the offering were approximately NT$15,967.2 million. We used the net proceeds for the construction of and purchase of equipment and machinery for our production facilities, including the ramping up of our fifth-generation fabs and the construction of our sixth-generation fab.
In July 2005, we issued an aggregate of 33,000,000 ADSs representing 330,000,000 shares of our common stock. The net proceeds form the offering were approximately NT$15,594.2 million (US$475.4 million). We used the net proceeds to repay indebtedness and for the construction of and purchase of equipment and machinery production facilities.
In July 2005, we entered into a NT$42.0 billion (US$1.3 billion) seven-year syndicated credit facility, for which the Bank of Taiwan acted as the agent bank, for the purpose of funding the construction and purchase of machinery and equipment at our 7.5 -generation fab. The syndication agreement for this facility contains covenants that require us to maintain certain financial ratios. Our obligations under this credit facility are secured by certain of our equipment and machinery. As of December 31, 2005, NT$3.0 billion (US$0.1 billion) had been drawn down under
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this credit facility. We issued NT$5.0 billion (US$0.2 billion) secured corporate bonds under this credit facility in March 2006.
Our long-term loans and facilities contain various financial and other covenants that could trigger a requirement for early payment. Among other things, these covenants require the maintenance of certain financial ratios, such as liquidity ratio, indebtedness ratio, interest coverage ratio and other technical requirements. In general, covenants in the agreements governing our existing debt, and debt we may incur in the future, may materially restrict our operations, including our ability to incur debt, pay dividends, make certain investments and payments and encumber or dispose of assets. A default under one debt instrument may also trigger cross-defaults under our other debt instruments. An event of default under any debt instrument, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, as well as our financial condition and operations. As of December 31, 2005, we were in compliance with all financial and other covenants under our long-term loans and credit facilities.
The carrying amount of our assets pledged as collateral to secure our obligations under our long-term borrowings and bonds, including building, machinery and equipment, amounted to NT$115,518.9 million (US$3,521.9 million) as of December 31, 2005.
Net cash provided by operating activities amounted to NT$37,041.5 million in 2003, NT$49,393.6 million in 2004 and NT$48,006.0 million (US$1,463.6 million) in 2005. Our depreciation and amortization was NT$16,294.6 million in 2003, NT$25,309.3 million in 2004 and NT$34,493.2 million (US$1,051.6 million) in 2005. Our notes and accounts payable increased NT$11,413.0 million in 2003, NT$5,026.6 million in 2004 and NT$23,286.0 million (US$709.9 million) in 2005. Increases in depreciation and amortization were primarily due to increased capital investment for the expansion of our production capacity. Our notes and accounts payable were partially offset by increases in notes and accounts receivable of NT$6,894.2 million in 2003, NT$4,541.4 million in 2004 and NT$22,100.1 million (US$673.8 million) in 2005 and increases in inventories of NT$1,770.7 million in 2003, NT$6,517.3 million in 2004 and NT$3,895.6 million (US$118.8 million) in 2005.
Net cash used for investing activities was NT$40,339.4 million in 2003, NT$87,010.2 million in 2004 and NT$82,456.2 million (US$2,513.9 million) in 2005. Net cash used for investing activities primarily reflected capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment of NT$39,300.6 million in 2003, NT$81,868.7 million in 2004 and NT$80,652.3 million (US$2,458.9 million) in 2005. These capital expenditures were primarily funded with net cash provided by operating activities and financing activities, primarily from long-term bank borrowings and the issuance of shares.
Net cash used for financing activities was NT$4,672.6 million in 2003, reflecting primarily our repayments of long-term loans and bonds of NT$10,792.1 million, partially offset by borrowings of NT$8,740.4 million under long-term loans. Net cash provided by financing activities was NT$37,615.2 million, in 2004, reflecting primarily our issuance of shares in connection with our ADS follow-on offering totaling NT$15,967.2 million and long-term loans and bonds of NT$28,315.8 million partially offset by our repayment of long-term loans and bonds of NT$6,892.1 million and a cash dividend distribution of NT$5,208.3 million. Net cash provided by financing activities was NT$43,097.3 million in 2005, reflecting primarily proceeds from the issuance of common stock of NT$15,594.2 million and an increase of long-term borrowings and bonds payable of NT$47,468.0 million which was offset by repayment of long-term borrowings and bonds payable of NT$7,472.8 million and the payment of a cash dividend in the amount of NT$5,935.2 million.
We have made, and expect to continue to make, substantial capital expenditures in connection with the expansion of our production capacity. Substantially all of capital expenditures are invested in facilities located in Taiwan and the PRC. The table below sets forth our principal capital expenditures, paid or committed, for the periods indicated.
| | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | | | (in millions) | | |
Equipment purchases | | 40,424.1 | | 80,814.5 | | 72,536.5 | | 2,211.5 |
Land and building purchases | | 3,990.0 | | 2,233.3 | | 21,317.5 | | 649.9 |
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We are sometimes required to prepay our purchases of land and equipment. Prepayments for purchases of land are the result of a standard processing procedure by the ROC government related to the transfer of legal title. As of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, our prepayments for purchases of land amounted to NT$27.7 million, NT$27.7 million and NT$27.7 million (US$0.8 million), respectively. Prepayments for purchases of equipment result from contractual agreements involving down payments to suppliers when the equipment is ordered by us. As of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, prepayments for purchases of equipment amounted to NT$11,753.1 million, NT$38,009.7 million and NT$15,529.0 million (US$473.4 million), respectively.
For the year ended December 31, 2005, our capital expenditures amounted to NT$80,652.3 million (US$2,458.9 million), primarily for purchase of equipment to build our 7.5 -generation fab and the expansion of our existing fabs and our module-assembly operations.
We estimate our capital expenditures to be approximately NT$90.0 billion to NT$95.0 billion for 2006, primarily for the purchase of equipment to complete our 7.5 -generation fab and the ramp-up of our sixth-generation fab. As of May 1, 2006, we have commitments in an amount of approximately NT$44.7 billion to purchase equipment and machinery. We may increase or decrease our capital expenditures depending on cash flow from operations, the progress of our expansion plans, and market conditions.
We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, expected cash flow from operations and borrowings under our existing and future credit facilities should be sufficient to meet our capital expenditure, working capital, cash obligations under our existing debt and lease arrangements and other requirements for at least the next 12 months. We frequently need to invest in new capacity to improve our economies of scale and reduce our production costs, which may require us to raise additional capital. We cannot assure you that we will be able to raise additional capital should it become necessary on terms acceptable to us or at all. The sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities may result in additional dilution to our shareholders.
5.C. Research and Development
We incurred research and development costs of NT$3,386.4 million, NT$5,011.5 million and NT$4,882.3 million (US$148.9 million) in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, which represented 3.2%, 3.0% and 2.2%, respectively, of our net sales.
Our research and development activities are principally directed toward advancing our technologies in key components, manufacturing processes and product development, with the objective of improving the features of our products to bring added value to our customers in addition to design products that meet their specific requirements. We have a product development team dedicated to each of our primary product categories. Each of these teams focuses on the development of our existing and potential new products. To support our fabs, we maintain a centralized research and development team that works to improve our manufacturing processes, as well as a team of technical support personnel that focuses on computer integrated manufacturing. We also have two research and development teams that are dedicated to the development of LTPS and OLED, respectively. In addition, we have two research and development teams to explore new design platforms for next-generation displays. Finally, we have one research and development team that focuses on manufacturing yield and key component vendors. Monetary incentives are provided to our employees if research projects result in successful patents. As of December 31, 2005, we employed approximately 832 research and development engineers in our company.
We plan to continue to increase our spending on research and development with the goal of improving our TFT-LCD manufacturing process and developing new TFT-LCD products such as high-resolution 17-inch or larger panels for desktop monitors and 26-inch or above panels for television. We are also developing alternative technologies such as LTPS and OLED display. In particular, we are developing color active-matrix OLED technology for small- to medium-size panels, which we expect to be utilized in products such as mobile phones and digital still cameras.
We established a dedicated flat panel research and development center, the AUO Technology Center, in the third quarter of 2004. The research activities at the AUO Technology Center have initially been divided into several general areas, including advanced technology development in new liquid crystal materials, new system electronics, new backlight unit technologies, image and color processing, OLED and LTPS. In addition to new product
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development and module processing, the AUO Technology Center also focuses on improving our current TFT-LCD panel product and manufacturing process technologies.
5.D. Trend Information
For trend information, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results.”
5.E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have, from time to time, entered into non-derivative financial instruments, including letters of credit to finance or secure our purchase payment obligations. As of December 31, 2005, we had off-balance sheet outstanding letters of credit of US$4.9 million, JP¥11,731.9 million and NT$95.6 million. In addition, we have entered into interest rate swap transactions to hedge our interest rate exposure arising out of our long-term borrowing facilities. As of December 31, 2005, we had interest rate swaps contracts with a total notional amount of NT$25.5 billion and with the maturity dates ranging from January 2008 to September 2010. We also entered into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge our existing assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and identifiable foreign currency purchase commitments. As of December 31, 2005, we had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts of US$846.0 million and NT$17,595.9 million with settlement dates ranging from January to March 2006.
5.F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
The following tables set forth our contractual obligations and commitments with definitive payment terms which will require significant cash outlays in the future as of December 31, 2005.
| | Payments due by Period |
| |
|
| | Total | | Less than 1 year | | 1-3 years | | 3-5 years | | More than 5 years |
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| |
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| |
| |
|
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ |
| | (in millions) |
Contractual Obligations | | | | | | | | | | |
Long-term debt obligations(1) | | 93,773.0 | | 9,832.7 | | 38,084.4 | | 37,094.7 | | 8,761.2 |
Operating lease obligations(2) | | 1,386.8 | | 98.9 | | 197.8 | | 197.8 | | 892.3 |
Purchase obligations(3) | | 41,967.3 | | 41,967.3 | | — | | — | | — |
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| |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total | | 137,127.1 | | 51,898.9 | | 38,282.2 | | 37,292.5 | | 9,653.5 |
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| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
(1) | Includes principal payment obligations only, as our interest obligations relating to the majority of our long-term debt are floating rate obligations. |
| |
(2) | Represents our obligations to make lease payments to use the land on which our fabs and module-assembly facilities are located. |
| |
(3) | Includes purchase orders for the machinery and equipment at our fabs. We have placed orders related to the installation of machinery and equipment at our new 7.5 -generation fab, our sixth-generation fab and our third fifth-generation, together with the color filter production facilities housed at such fabs. As of December 31, 2005, we had made commitments of approximately NT$11.4 billion (US$0.3 billion), primarily relating to the sixth-generation fab and color filter production, approximately NT$6.7 billion (US$0.2 billion), relating to the third fifth-generation fab, and approximately NT$17.1 billion (US$0.5 billion), relating to the 7.5 -generation fab, which commitments may be cancelled subject to the payment of certain penalties. |
In addition to the contractual obligations set forth above, we also have continuing obligations to make cash royalty payments under our technology license agreements, the amounts of which are determined based on our use of such technology and patents. Pursuant to relevant regulatory requirements, we estimate that we will contribute approximately NT$90.0 million to our pension fund maintained with the Central Trust of China in 2006.
We have not entered into any financial guarantees or similar commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of non-affiliated third parties. In addition, we do not have any written options on non-financial assets. Our long-term
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loan and lease agreements include provisions that require early payment under certain conditions. The terms of our credit facilities for long-term borrowings also contain financial covenants, including current and debt-equity ratios and other technical requirements. Our debt under these facilities may be accelerated if there is a default, including defaults triggered by failure to comply with these financial covenants and other technical requirements. As of December 31, 2005, we were in compliance with all financial covenants and other technical requirements under our credit facilities.
U.S. GAAP Reconciliation
The following table sets forth a comparison of our net income and shareholders’ equity in accordance with ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP for the periods indicated.
| | For the Year Ended December 31, | |
| |
| |
| | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
Net income in accordance with | | (in millions) | |
ROC GAAP | | 15,659.9 | | 27,962.9 | | 15,621.2 | | 476.3 | |
U.S. GAAP | | 15,715.4 | | 18,112.5 | | 8,678.2 | | 264.6 | |
Shareholders’ equity in accordance with | | | | | | | | | |
ROC GAAP | | 92,654.5 | | 130,565.6 | | 155,819.5 | | 4,750.6 | |
U.S. GAAP | | 106,978.9 | | 142,685.6 | | 166,918.9 | | 5,089.0 | |
Cash flows from operating activities in accordance with | | | | | | | | | |
ROC GAAP | | 37,041.5 | | 49,393.6 | | 48,006.0 | | 1,463.6 | |
U.S. GAAP | | 36,987.3 | | 48,943.8 | | 46,951.9 | | 1,431.5 | |
Cash flows from investing activities in accordance with | | | | | | | | | |
ROC GAAP | | (40,339.4 | ) | (87,010.2 | ) | (82,456.2 | ) | (2,513.9 | ) |
U.S. GAAP | | (40,339.4 | ) | (88,001.0 | ) | (81,428.1 | ) | (2,482.6 | ) |
Cash flows from financing activities in accordance with | | | | | | | | | |
ROC GAAP | | (4,672.6 | ) | 37,615.2 | | 43,097.3 | | 1,313.9 | |
U.S. GAAP | | (4,618.4 | ) | 38,066.2 | | 43,783.9 | | 1,334.9 | |
Below is a discussion of certain material differences between ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP. See note 22 to our consolidated financial statements for a complete discussion of significant differences between ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP. Business Combination
We completed our merger with Unipac on September 1, 2001 through the issuance of 1,512,281,607 common shares in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of Unipac. Under ROC GAAP, the merger was accounted for using the pooling-of-interests method and, accordingly, the assets and liabilities of Unipac were recorded based on the carrying value at the date of merger. Further, according to the ROC Company Law, the excess of Unipac’s net assets over the par value of our common shares issued for completion of the merger has been appropriated from unappropriated earnings and recorded as capital surplus. Under U.S. GAAP, the merger has been accounted for as the acquisition of Unipac, using the purchase method of accounting. Under purchase accounting, the aggregate purchase price of NT$39,636.9 million was calculated based on the market value of our common shares issued and this amount was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. The market value of our shares was based on the average market price of our shares over the five-day period before and after the terms of the acquisition were agreed upon and announced. Our management is responsible for the determination of the fair value of the assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities assumed of Unipac. In determining such fair values, management considered a number of factors, including valuation reports by third parties. Based on the results of these valuations and our best estimates of fair value, we allocated the purchase price to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The difference between the purchase price and the fair value of the net assets that we acquired, including identifiable intangible
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assets, has been recorded as goodwill. The financial results of Unipac prior to the acquisition date of September 1, 2001 have been excluded from our U.S. GAAP results of operations.
We recorded NT$8,730.4 million of acquired intangible assets as part of the purchase price for Unipac, of which NT$53.5 million was assigned to in-process research and development assets that were then written off at the date of acquisition in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Interpretation No. 4, “Applicability of FASB Statement No. 2 to Business Combinations Accounted for by the Purchase Method.” Those write-offs were included in research and development expenses in 2001. The remaining NT$8,676.9 million of acquired intangible assets have a weighted average useful life of approximately 88 months and no estimated residual value. These intangible assets include large-size TFT-LCD product and manufacturing process technologies of NT$3,123.6 million and small- to medium-size TFT-LCD panel product and manufacturing process technologies of NT$5,553.3 million. The key technology for small and medium-size TFT-LCD production includes the technologies independently developed by Unipac and 13 related patents. The key technology for large-size TFT-LCD production includes the technologies jointly developed by Unipac and Matsushita, product technologies developed by Unipac and three related patents.
We also recorded NT$11,599.7 million in goodwill. In accordance with U.S. GAAP Statement of Financial Accounting Standards, or SFAS, No. 141, “Business Combinations,” goodwill arising from a purchase accounting business combination consummated after June 30, 2001 is not amortized but is tested for impairment. Effective January 1, 2002, for U.S. GAAP purposes, we adopted SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.” As a result, we test goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis at the reporting unit level.
Compensation Costs
According to our articles of incorporation, a remuneration amount of up to 1% of annual distributable earnings may be paid to our directors and supervisors. Under ROC GAAP, these payments are charged directly to retained earnings in the period during which our shareholders approve these payments and are treated as financing activities in the statements of cash flows. Under U.S. GAAP, these cash payments are recorded as compensation expense in the period when the related services are rendered and are treated as operating activities in the statement of cash flows.
Certain of our employees are entitled to bonuses in accordance with our articles of incorporation, which specify a bonus amount ranging from 5% to 10% of our annual distributable earnings. Employee bonuses may be paid in cash, shares, or a combination of both. Under ROC GAAP, these bonuses are appropriated from retained earnings in the period our shareholders’ approval is obtained. If these employee bonuses are settled through the issuance of our shares, the amount charged against retained earnings is based on the par value of our shares issued.
Under U.S. GAAP, the employee bonus expense is charged to income in the year during which services are provided. Shares we issue as part of these bonuses are recorded at fair value determined at the date on which the number of shares to be issued is known. Since the amount and form of the bonuses are not finally determinable until our shareholders’ meeting in the following year, the total amount of these bonuses is initially accrued based on management’s best estimate. Any difference between the amount initially accrued and the fair value of these bonuses settled by the issuance of our shares is recognized in the year of approval by our shareholders.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We sell our products to customers worldwide and source a significant portion of our raw materials and components from suppliers outside Taiwan. This exposes us to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We also have exposure to changes in interest rates that affect our cash flows on long-term borrowings. We use financial instruments, including derivatives such as foreign currency forward contracts and interest rate swaps, to reduce our foreign currency and interest rate exposure.
For ROC GAAP purposes, we record our interest rate swaps as hedge transactions by recording the net receivable or payable each month related to these interest rate swap contracts, offsetting or adding to our interest expense of the related debt. For foreign currency forward contracts, we record unrealized gains or losses measured using the change in the spot rate of the contracts in our consolidated statements of income if the contracts are used to
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hedge existing foreign currency denominated receivables and payables, or we defer recognition of unrealized gains or losses for those contracts hedging anticipated transactions that will be denominated in a foreign currency. The discount or premium on a forward contract is amortized into earnings over the life of the contract.
For U.S. GAAP purposes, we adopted SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” as amended, as of January 1, 2001. In accordance with the related transition provisions of SFAS No. 133, we recorded an after-tax charge to earnings of NT$0.6 million, representing the cumulative effect of the adoption related to the foreign currency forward contracts for the year ended December 31, 2001. The after-tax earnings charge to the statements of income had no material effect on our U.S. GAAP earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2001.
After our adoption of SFAS No. 133, as amended, none of our existing derivatives met the U.S. GAAP hedge accounting criteria. As a result, all derivative contracts are recognized as either assets or liabilities and are measured at fair value at each balance sheet date. Changes in fair values of derivative instruments arising subsequent to the transition date amounted to a charge of NT$22.2 million, NT$(249.6) million and NT$(45.1) million in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, and are included in other non-operating income (expense) for U.S. GAAP purposes. In addition, we reclassified NT$9.4 million and NT$2.8 million, net of tax, of the deferred losses from accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings from the interest rate swap contracts during 2003 and 2004, respectively. No such reclassifications were made in 2005. Changes in the fair value of these derivatives in subsequent periods could result in increased volatility of our results of operations under U.S. GAAP.
Income Taxes
Under ROC GAAP, a valuation allowance is provided on deferred tax assets when they are not certain to be realized based on the available projection of future taxable income. However, the criteria by which the need for a valuation allowance is determined is less stringent than under U.S. GAAP. Under U.S. GAAP, cumulative losses in recent years are significant piece of negative evidence, which is difficult to overcome using projections of future taxable income for the purpose of determining the valuation allowance. We suffered losses in 2001 and also had a net loss in the fourth quarter of 2002. As a result, we did not use the projection of future taxable income in determining our net deferred tax asset valuation allowance for the periods through December 31, 2002. However, we started to generate profits in 2003, and expect to continue to generate profit going forward. Therefore, more positive evidence is available that the use of available future taxable income projections in determining the size of the valuation allowance is appropriate. As a result, we reversed a valuation allowance of NT$1,869.1 million in 2003.
Under a revised ROC tax rule effective on January 1, 1998, an additional 10% corporate income tax will be assessed on taxable income but only to the extent such taxable income is not distributed before the end of the following year. As a result, from January 1, 1998 to January 20, 2001, our undistributed income is subject to a corporate tax rate of 28% and distributed income is taxed at 20%. Commencing from January 20, 2001, the undistributed and distributed income is subject to a corporate tax rate of 32.5% and 25%, respectively. Under ROC GAAP, the 10% tax on undistributed earnings is recognized as an expense on the date that shareholders approve the amount of the earnings distribution. Under U.S. GAAP, we measure our tax expense, including the tax effects of temporary differences, using the undistributed rate.
Although tax rates applied under ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP are different, the amount of future taxable income and the amount of subsequent distributions to be made are the same and consistent under both bases of accounting. The analyses under ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP take into consideration these premises and therefore the level of net deferred taxes are the same under both bases of accounting.
Depreciation of Property, Plant and Equipment
Under ROC GAAP, we depreciate buildings over estimated lives of 20 or 50 years based on guidance from theROC Internal Revenue Code. Under U.S. GAAP, buildings are depreciated over an estimated useful life of 20 years.
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Marketable Securities
Under ROC GAAP, marketable equity securities are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or market price. Under U.S. GAAP securities that have readily determinable fair values are to be classified as either trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity securities. Marketable securities that are bought and traded for short-term profits are classified as trading securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. Marketable securities not classified as trading securities are classified as available-for-sale securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of other comprehensive income. Marketable securities that we have the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity securities and reported at amortized cost. We had no trading or held-to-maturity portfolios as of December 31, 2005.
Equity-Method Investments
Under ROC GAAP, investor level goodwill is amortized over five years. Under US GAAP, such goodwill is not amortized, but the carrying amount of that investment is assessed for impairment.
If an investee company issues new shares and the shareholders do not acquire new shares in proportion to their original ownership percentage, the investor’s equity in the investee’s net assets will be changed. Under ROC GAAP, the change in the equity interest shall be used to adjust the capital surplus and the long-term investment accounts. If a company’s capital surplus is not sufficient to offset the adjustment to long-term investment, the difference shall be debited to retained earnings. Under US GAAP, subsequent investments are treated as a step acquisition and additional consideration is allocated to the incremental pro rata share of the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired. When the company does not acquire new shares in proportion to its original ownership percentage, any gain or loss resulting from the change in investee’s equity shall be recognized directly to equity as a capital transaction in accordance with SAB 51, “Accounting for Sales of Stock by a Subsidiary”. This policy has been consistently applied.
Recent ROC GAAP Accounting Pronouncements
Under ROC GAAP currently in effect, we categorize securities we own as either short-term investments or long-term investments. Short-term investments are recorded at cost when acquired and stated at the lower of aggregate cost or market value, or LCM. Long-term investments are stated at cost when acquired. Long-term investments in listed equity securities are evaluated under the LCM method or equity method, depending on the percentage of our shareholdings. Long-term investments in non-listed equity securities are evaluated under the cost method or equity method, depending on the percentage of our shareholdings. On December 25, 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Committee, or FASC, issued ROC Statement of Financial Accounting Standards, or ROC SFAS, No. 34, “Accounting for Financial Instruments”, which will take effect beginning 2006. Investments in debt and equity securities will be classified into three categories: trading securities, available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity securities. Changes in the values of securities in the trading portfolio will be recognized in the income statement immediately; changes in the values of available-for-sale category will be reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity; held-to-maturity securities will be recorded under the amortized cost method.
Under ROC GAAP currently in effect, derivatives are treated as off-balance sheet items; however, ROC SFAS 34 will require all derivatives to be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value and establish “hedge accounting” for three different types of hedges: fair-value hedge, cash-flow hedge and foreign-currency hedge. Under cash flow hedge accounting, the effective portion of gains or losses from the hedging instrument and the hedged item will be recognized in equity. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not meet the criteria of one of these three categories of hedges are recorded directly in earnings. As a result of the adoption of ROC SFAS No. 34 net income for the first quarter of 2006 decreased by NT$199 million. The cumulative effect of accounting change and the effect on stockholders’ equity was NT$39 million and NT$226 million, respectively.
On July 1, 2004, FASC issued ROC SFAS No. 35, “Accounting for Asset Impairment.” ROC SFAS No.35 applies to our financial statements for financial periods beginning January 1, 2005. We must recognize impairment loss in respect of our fixed assets, intangible assets, long-term investments under the equity method, idle assets and goodwill if an asset’s recoverable amount is lower than its carrying amount. Reversals of impairment losses (except
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for impairments of goodwill) are permissible under limited circumstances only. Before ROC SFAS No. 35 came into effect, ROC GAAP did not contain any definitive guidance on the method of recognizing impairment loss. We do not expect the adoption of ROC SFAS No. 35 to have a material effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
On December 9, 2004, FASC issued the ROC SFAS No.7 (Revised 2004) “Consolidated Financial Statements,” which requires us, beginning January 1, 2005, to consolidate in our consolidated financial statements the results of operations of all entities in which we have control over the financial and operating policies, irrespective of whether or not we have a majority shareholding in such entities. We do not expect the adoption of ROC SFAS No. 7 (Revised 2004) to have a material effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
On June 23, 2005, the FASC issued ROC SFAS No. 36, “Disclosure and Presentation of FinancialInstruments.” ROC SFAS No. 36 applies to our financial statements for financial periods beginning January 1, 2006. This statement requires the presentation of financial instruments and identifies the information to be disclosed. The presentation requirements apply to the classification of financial instruments, from the perspective of the issuer, into financial assets, financial liabilities and equity instruments; the classification of related interest, dividends, losses and gains; and the circumstances in which financial assets and financial liabilities are to be offset. This statement requires disclosure of information about factors that affect the amount, timing and certainty of an entity’s future cash flows relating to financial instruments and the accounting policies to be applied to those instruments. This statement also requires the disclosure of information about the nature and extent of an entity’s use of financial instruments, the business purposes they serve, the risks associated and the management’s policies on controlling those risks. The principles in this statement complement the principles in ROC SFAS No. 34, “Accounting for Financial Instruments” on the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities.
On December 22, 2005, the FASC issued ROC SFAS No.5 (Revised 2005), “Long-Term Investments in Equity Securities.” This revised statement provides that when an investor company purchases the stock of an investee company at a price higher than the book value of the stock, the investor shall first assign fair value to all identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed and then compare the investment cost with the total fair value of identifiable assets less liabilities. If the investment cost is higher than the fair value, the investor company shall recognize as goodwill. Under SFAS No. 5, as amended, goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment in accordance with ROC SFAS No. 35. We perform test of impairment of goodwill annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate it might be impaired. If the net fair value of identifiable assets acquired over liabilities assumed exceeds the investment cost, the difference shall be allocated as a pro rata reduction of the fair value over the carrying value of non-current assets (except for financial assets accounted for under the equity method, assets to be disposed of by sale, deferred tax assets, prepaid assets relating to pension or other postretirement benefit plans). If the allocation reduces these assets to zero value, the remainder of the excess over cost shall be recognized as an extraordinary gain. The revised ROC SFAS No. 5 is effective for financial periods beginning January 1, 2006. We do not expect the adoption of ROC SFAS No. 5 (Revised 2005) to have a material effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Recent U.S. GAAP Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2004, the FASB approved the consensus reached on the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 03-1, “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments.” EITF 03-1 provides guidance for identifying impaired investments and new disclosure requirements for investments that are deemed to be temporarily impaired. On September 30, 2004, the FASB issued a final staff position EITF Issue 03-1-1 that delays indefinitely the effective date for the measurement and recognition guidance included in paragraphs 10 through 20 of EITF 03-1. The guidance in paragraph 10 through 20 of EITF 03-1 has been replaced by guidance in FASB Staff Position (FSP) FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1, “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments” issued by the FASB in November 2005. Quantitative and qualitative disclosures required by EITF 03-1 remain effective for fiscal year 2005. We have adopted the disclosure requirements of EITF 03-1.
FSP FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1 amend EITF 03-1 and address when an investment is considered impaired and whether that impairment is other-than-temporary and measuring an impairment loss. This FSP also addresses the accounting after an entity recognizes an other-than-temporary impairment and requires certain disclosures about
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unrealized losses that the entity did not recognize as other-than-temporary impairments. This FSP is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2005. We do not expect the adoption of FSP FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1 to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.
In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, “Inventory Cost.” SFAS No. 151 amends the guidance contained in the Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) No. 43, Chapter 4, “Inventory Pricing,” to clarify the accounting for abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs and wasted material (spoilage). This statement is effective for fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The initial adoption of SFAS No. 151 is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.
In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123 (Revised 2004), “Share Based Payment.” This statement establishes standards for the accounting of transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods or services. This statement is effective for fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. On April 14, 2005, the SEC adopted a new rule permitting registrants to elect to adopt the revised standard beginning of the first annual period that begins after June 15, 2005. We have elected to defer the required adoption until the beginning of the first quarter of 2006. SFAS No. 123R allows for either prospective recognition of compensation expense or retrospective recognition. We are currently evaluating these transition methods. The initial adoption of SFAS 123R is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations.
In March 2005, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation (FIN) No. 47, “Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations.” FIN 47 clarifies that an entity must record a liability for a “conditional” asset retirement obligation if the fair value of the obligation can be reasonably estimated. The types of asset retirement obligations that are covered by this interpretation are those for which an entity has a legal obligation to perform; however, the timing and/or method of settling the obligation are conditional on a future event that may or may not be within the control of the entity. FIN 47 also clarifies when an entity would have sufficient information to estimate reasonably the fair value of an asset retirement obligation. FIN 47 is effective no later than the end of fiscal year ending after December 15, 2005. We do not expect the initial adoption of FIN 47 to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.
In May 2005, the FASB issued SFAS No. 154, “Accounting Changes and Error Corrections.” This statement replaces APB Opinion No. 20, “Accounting Changes,” and SFAS No. 3, “Reporting Accounting Changes in Interim Financial Statements” and changes the requirements for the accounting for and reporting of a change in accounting principle. This statement applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle and changes required by an accounting pronouncement in the unusual instance that the pronouncement does not include specific transition provisions. The statement also defines “retrospective application” and “restatement.” The retrospective application of a change in accounting principles is limited to the direct effects of the change. The statement is effective for accounting changes and corrections of errors made in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2005. We do not expect the adoption of SFAS 154 to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.
In September 2005, the FASB approved the consensus reached on the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 04-13, “Accounting for Purchases and Sales of Inventory with the Same Counterparty.” EITF 04-13 provides guidance for circumstances under which two or more transactions involving inventory with the same counterparty should be viewed as a single non-monetary transaction within the scope of APB Opinion No. 29, “Accounting for Non-monetary Transactions,” and whether there are circumstances under which non-monetary exchanges of inventory within the same line of business should be recognized at fair value. EITF 04-13 is effective for new arrangements entered into in reporting periods beginning after March 15, 2006. We do not expect the adoption of EITF 04-13 to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.
ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
6.A. Directors and Senior Management
Members of our board of directors are elected by our shareholders. Our board of directors is composed of nine directors. The chairman of the board of directors is elected by the directors. The chairman of the board of directors presides at all meetings of the board of directors and also has the authority to act as our representative. The term of office for directors is three years.
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We also have three supervisors. In accordance with the ROC Company Law, supervisors are elected by our shareholders and cannot concurrently serve as our directors, executive officers or other staff members. The term of office for supervisors is three years. The supervisors’ duties and powers include, but are not limited to, investigation of our financial condition, inspection of corporate records, verification of statements by the board of directors, giving reports at shareholders’ meetings, representation of us in negotiations with our directors and giving notification, when appropriate, to the board of directors to cease acting in contravention of applicable law or regulations or our articles of incorporation or beyond our scope of business.
Pursuant to the ROC Company Law, a person may serve as our director or supervisor in his or her personal capacity or as the representative of another legal entity. A director or supervisor who serves as the representative of a legal entity may be removed or replaced at any time at the discretion of that legal entity, and the replacement director or supervisor may serve the remainder of the term of office of the replaced director or supervisor. Of our nine current directors, three are representatives of BenQ and one is a representative of Darly 2 Venture Ltd. Of our three supervisors, one is a representative of BenQ and one is a representative of China Development Industrial Bank, or CDIB.
On April 7, 2006 we announced that we will merge with QDI, a company incorporated in Taiwan that manufactures and assembles TFT-LCD panels. The merger is targeted to close on October 1, 2006 and on the effective date, we will be the surviving entity and will assume substantially all of the assets, liabilities and personnel of QDI. The merger is subject to shareholder approval of our company and QDI as well as regulatory approvals including approval from the Financial Supervisory Commission. After the merger, two board members of our board of directors will be appointed by QDI. Kuen-Yao Lee and Hsuan Bin Chen will remain as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and President and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, of AUO, while C.C. Leung of QDI will be appointed as Vice Chairman.
The following table sets forth information regarding all of our directors and supervisors as of May 1, 2006. The business address of all of our directors and supervisors is the company’s principal executive office.
Name | | Age | | Position | | Term Expires | | Years with Us | | Principal Business Activities Performed Outside Our Company |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee | | 54 | | Chairman | | 2007 | | 10 | | Chairman and Chief Executive |
| | | | | | | | | | Officer of BenQ; Director of Darfon |
| | | | | | | | | | Electronics Corp.; Director of Daxon |
| | | | | | | | | | Technology Inc. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Hsuan Bin (H.B.) Chen | | 55 | | Director | | 2007 | | 9 | | Chairman of Wellypower Optronics |
| | | | | | | | | | Corporation; Director of BenQ |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Hsi-Hua Sheaffer Lee(1) | | 51 | | Director | | 2007 | | 10 | | President and Chief Operating |
| | | | | | | | | | Officer of BenQ; Chairman of Darfon |
| | | | | | | | | | Electronics Corp.; Director of Gallant |
| | | | | | | | | | Precision Machining Co. Ltd. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Po-Yen Lu(1) | | 55 | | Director | | 2007 | | 9 | | Director of Cando Corporation; |
| | | | | | | | | | Director of Sita Technology Corp. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Hui Hsiung(1) | | 53 | | Director | | 2007 | | 10 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Chin-Bing Peng(2) | | 53 | | Director | | 2007 | | 2 | | President of iD SoftCapital Inc.; |
| | | | | | | | | | Director of BenQ |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Cheng-Chu Fan | | 54 | | Director | | 2007 | | 2 | | Senior Advisor, WK Technology |
| | | | | | | | | | Fund; Director of Advantech Co., |
| | | | | | | | | | Ltd.; Director of Transcend |
| | | | | | | | | | Information, Inc. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Vivien Huey-Juan Hsieh | | 53 | | Director | | 2007 | | 2 | | Professor at National Taipei |
| | | | | | | | | | University of Technology |
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T.J. Huang | | 60 | | Director | | 2007 | | 2 | | Chairman, Systex Corporation; |
| | | | | | | | | | Chairman, Sysware Corporation; |
| | | | | | | | | | President, Asia Vest Partners |
| | | | | | | | | | TCW/YFT (Taiwan) Ltd. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Chieh-Chien Chao | | 62 | | Supervisor | | 2007 | | 2 | | Adjunct Professor at National Taiwan |
| | | | | | | | | | University |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Ko-Yung (Eric) Yu(1) | | 50 | | Supervisor | | 2007 | | 10 | | Chief Financial Officer of BenQ; |
| | | | | | | | | | Chairman of Daxon Technology Inc.; |
| | | | | | | | | | Supervisor of Darfon Electronics |
| | | | | | | | | | Corp. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Shin Chen(3) | | 58 | | Supervisor | | 2007 | | 1 | | Senior Executive Vice President, |
| | | | | | | | | | CDIB |
|
(1) | Representing BenQ. |
|
(2) | Representing Darly 2 Venture Ltd. |
|
(3) | Representing CDIB. |
Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee has been the Chairman of our company since 1996 and a director of our company since 1996. Mr. Lee received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Taiwan University in Taiwan in 1974 and his Master’s of Business Administration from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland in 1990.
Hsuan Bin (H.B.) Chen has been a director of our company since 1998. In addition, Mr. Chen has been our President and Chief Operating Officer since 1997. Mr. Chen received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications Engineering from the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan in 1975. Mr. Chen worked for Acer Technologies Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia from 1992 to 1997 before he joined Acer Display in 1997.
Hsi-Hua Sheaffer Lee has been a director of our company since 1996. Mr. Lee has also been the President of BenQ since September 2003. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan in 1978.
Po-Yen Lu has been a director of our company since 2001. Mr. Lu has also been our Executive Vice President in charge of all our operating units since 1997. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Taiwan University in Taiwan in 1974 and a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1982. Before he joined our company in 1997, Mr. Lu worked for Gould Labs from 1978 to 1980, Bell Labs as Technical Manager from 1982 to 1995, and Electronics Research & Service Organization, Industrial Technology Research Institute as a Deputy Director of Display Research and Development from 1995 to 1997.
Hui Hsiung has been a director of our company since early 2002. Mr. Hsiung joined our company in 1996 as Director of the Research and Development Department, and from 1997 to 1999 served in positions in the company’s Marketing & Sales Division. Mr. Hsiung was a director of Acer Display from April 1999 to August 2001. Since June 2002, Mr. Hsiung has also served as our Executive Vice President in charge of all our business units of our company since 1996. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the National Taiwan University in Taiwan in 1975 and a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985.
Chin-Bing Peng has been our director since April 2004. He is also the President of iD SoftCapital Inc. Mr. Peng received a Master’s of Business Administration degree from National Chengchi University in Taiwan in 1980.
Cheng-Chu Fan has been a director of our company since April 2004. He is also the senior advisor to WK Technology Fund and Chairman of Gatax Technology Co., Ltd. Mr. Fan was a president of Microsoft, Taiwan from 1992 to 2001 and the president of WK Technology Fund from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Fan received a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University in 1974.
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Vivien Huey-Juan Hsieh has been a director of our company since April 2004. Ms. Hsieh received a Ph.D. in Finance from the Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Houston, University Park, in Texas.
T.J. Huang has been a director of our company since April 2004. He is also the Chairman of Systex Corporation since 1977, the Chairman of Sysware Corporation since 1997 and the president of AsiaVest Partners, TCW/YFY (Taiwan) Ltd. since 1995. He was formerly Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director of YFY Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd. Mr. Huang received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1973.
Chieh-Chien Chao has been a supervisor of our company since April 2004. Mr. Chao was the Chairman of Chiao Tung Bank from 1994 to 2000, the Chairman of The Farmers Bank of China from 2000 to 2003 and the Chairman of Small and Medium Business Credit Guarantee Fund from 2003 to 2004. Mr. Chao received a Ph.D. in economics from National Taiwan University in 1974.
Ko-Yung (Eric)Yu has been a supervisor of our company since 1996. Mr. Yu was the Controller of Acer Peripherals, Inc. from 1996 to 1999. Thereafter, Mr. Yu was the Chief Financial Officer of Acer Communications and Multimedia Inc. from November 1999 to December 2001, and has served as a Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of BenQ since January 2002. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan in 1980 and a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the Strathclyde Graduate Business School in United Kingdom in 1995.
Shin Chen has been a supervisor of our company since October 2004. He is also a Senior Executive Vice President at China Development Industrial Bank. Mr. Chen was Chief Executive Officer of Chinatrust Venture Capital Corp. from 2001 to 2004 and Chief Executive Officer of Central Investment Holdings Company from 1996 to 2000. Mr. Chen received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1986 and a Master’s of Business Administration from California State University at Long Beach in 1976.
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth information regarding all of our executive officers as of May 1, 2006.
Name | | Age | | Position | | Years with Us |
| |
| |
| |
|
Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee | | 54 | | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | | 10 |
Hsuan Bin (H.B.) Chen | | 55 | | President and Chief Operating Officer | | 9 |
Po-Yen Lu | | 55 | | Executive Vice President | | 9 |
Hui Hsiung | | 53 | | Executive Vice President | | 10 |
Max Cheng | | 44 | | Chief Financial Officer; Chief Accounting Officer; | | 8 |
| | | | and Controller | | |
Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee. See “—Directors and Supervisors.”
Hsuan Bin (H.B.) Chen. See “—Directors and Supervisors.”
Po-Yen Lu. See “—Directors and Supervisors.”
Hui Hsiung. See “—Directors and Supervisors.”
Max Cheng has been our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller since 1998. He graduated from Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1985 and from Northern Illinois University with a Master’s degree in Accounting in 1990. Before he joined our company in 1998, Mr. Cheng served as the Controller of Acer Technologies Sdn. Bhd. from 1995 to 1998.
6.B. Compensation of Directors, Supervisors and Executive Officers
According to our articles of incorporation, we may distribute up to 1% of our annual distributed earnings in cash to our directors and supervisors as compensation after the payment of all income taxes, the deduction of any past losses, and the allocation of 10% of our annual earnings as legal reserves. In the event that a director or
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supervisor serves as a representative of a legal entity, such compensation is paid to the legal entity. See “Item 10. Additional Information—Articles of Incorporation—Dividends and Distributions.” The aggregate compensation paid in 2005 to our directors and supervisors for their services was approximately NT$37.4 million (US$1.1 million). We pay our executive officers monthly salaries, in addition to employee bonuses. The aggregate compensation paid in 2005 to our executive officers for their services was approximately NT$58.0 million (US$1.8 million).
We have a defined benefit pension plan covering our regular employees in the ROC. Retirement benefits are based on length of service and average salaries or wages in the last six months before retirement. We make monthly contributions, at 2.0% of salaries and wages, to a pension fund that is deposited in the name of, and administered by, the employees’ pension plan committee. Beginning July 1, 2005, pursuant to the newly effective ROC Labor Pension Act, we are required to make a monthly contribution for full-time employees in the ROC that elected to participate in a defined contribution plan at a rate of no less than 6% of the employee’s monthly salaries or wages to the employee’s individual pension fund accounts at the ROC Bureau of Labor Insurance. Our accrued pension cost as of December 31, 2005 was NT$247.8 million (US$7.6 million). See note 12 to our consolidated financial statements.
6.C. Board Practices
General
For a discussion of the term of office of the board of directors, see “—Directors and Senior Management.” No benefits are payable to members of the board or the executive officers upon termination of their relationship with us.
Audit Committee
Our board of directors established an audit committee in August 2002. The audit committee has responsibility for, among other things, oversight of the services provided to us by any accounting firm. The audit committee is appointed by the board of directors and currently consists of Cheng-Chu Fan, Vivien Huey-Juan Hsieh and T.J. Huang. Each audit committee member is an independent director who is financially literate with accounting or related financial management expertise. The audit committee meets as often as it deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
6.D. Employees
Employees
The following table provides a breakdown of our employees by function as of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
| | As of December 31, |
| |
|
Function | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Production | | 10,359 | | 14,142 | | 18,094 |
Technical(1) | | 2,642 | | 3,278 | | 4,404 |
Sales and marketing | | 509 | | 375 | | 378 |
Management and administration | | 1,073 | | 2,112 | | 1,451 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total | | 14,583 | | 19,907 | | 24,327 |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
(1) | Includes research and development personnel. |
The following table provides a breakdown of our employees by geographic location as of December 31, 2003,2004 and 2005.
| | As of December 31, |
| |
|
Location | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Taiwan(1) | | 8,272 | | 10,544 | | 13,514 |
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| | As of December 31, |
| |
|
Location | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, PRC(2) | | 6,286 | | 9,329 | | 10,741 |
Others | | 25 | | 34 | | 72 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total | | 14,583 | | 19,907 | | 24,327 |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
(1) | Employed by AU Optronics Corp. |
|
(2) | Employed by AU Optronics (Suzhou) Corp. |
Employee salaries are reviewed and adjusted annually, while performance evaluations are conducted semi-annually. Salaries are adjusted based on inflation and individual performance. As an incentive, discretionary cash bonuses may be paid based on the performance of individuals. In addition, ROC law generally requires that our employees in Taiwan be given preemptive rights to subscribe for between 10% and 15% of any of our share offerings.
Our employees in Taiwan participate in our profit distributions under our articles of incorporation. Employees in Taiwan are entitled to receive bonus shares, cash or a combination of bonus shares and cash, based on a percentage of our annual distributed earnings. The amount allocated in shares is, subject to the resolution of our shareholders’ meeting, determined by valuing the shares at their par value, or NT$10.00 per share, and paid to our employees in Taiwan based on individual performance and job seniority. We paid NT$433.6 million in bonus shares to our employees in 2003 for work performed in 2002. We paid NT$887.9 million in bonus shares and NT$380.5 million in cash bonuses to our employees in 2004 with respect to 2003. We paid NT$973.6 million (US$29.7 million) in bonus shares and NT$649.1 million (US$19.8 million) in cash bonuses to our employees in 2005 with respect to 2004.
The Hsinchu Science Park Administration offers a variety of employee-related services, including medical examinations, health insurance, career planning advice and other services for our employees in Taiwan. In addition to the services provided by the Hsinchu Science Park Administration, we have established a welfare committee, a pension fund committee, and other employee committees and a variety of employee benefit programs.
We do not have an employee option plan as of December 31, 2005. We do not have any collective bargaining arrangement with our employees. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.
6.E. Share Ownership
The table below sets forth the share ownership, as of May 1, 2006, of the legal entities represented by our directors and supervisors and executive officers.
Name | | Number of Shares Owned | | Percentage of Shares Owned | |
| |
| |
| |
Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | | 8,621,509 | | * | |
Hsuan Bin (H.B.) Chen, Director, President and Chief Operating Officer | | 5,419,569 | | * | |
Hsi-Hua Sheaffer Lee, Director(1) | | 716,533,779 | | 12.29 | % |
Po-Yen Lu, Director and Executive Vice President(1) | | 716,533,779 | | 12.29 | % |
Hui Hsiung, Director and Executive Vice President(1) | | 716,533,779 | | 12.29 | % |
Chin-Bing Peng, Director(2) | | 1,524,949 | | * | |
Cheng-Chu Fan, Director | | — | | — | |
Vivien Huey-Juan Hsieh, Director | | — | | — | |
T.J. Huang, Director | | — | | — | |
Chieh-Chien Chao, Supervisor | | — | | — | |
Ko-Yung (Eric) Yu, Supervisor(1) | | 716,533,779 | | 12.29 | % |
Shin Chen, Supervisor(3) | | 39,546,242 | | * | |
Max Cheng, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller | | 1,002,117 | | * | |
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| |
|
(1) | Represents shares held by BenQ. |
|
(2) | Represents shares held by Darly 2 Venture Ltd. |
|
(3) | Represents shares held by CDIB. |
* Less than 1%.
None of our directors, supervisors or executive officers has voting rights different from those of other shareholders.
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
7.A. Major Shareholders
BenQ is our major shareholder. As of May 1, 2006, BenQ beneficially owned 12.35% of our outstanding shares. Three of our directors and one of our supervisors are representatives of BenQ.
UMC was one of our major shareholders, holding 9.74% and 1.33% of our outstanding shares as of December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2005, respectively. Prior to our shareholders’ meeting on April 29, 2004, three of our directors and one of our supervisors were representatives of UMC. UMC is no longer represented on our current board of directors and supervisors.
There have been no changes in our major shareholders or significant changes in the amount of shares BenQ holds since May 1, 2006.
The following table sets forth information known to us with respect to the beneficial ownership of our shares as of May 1, 2006, the most recent practicable date, by (1) each shareholder known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our shares and (2) all directors and supervisors as a group.
Name of Beneficial Owner | | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | | Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned | | Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned (Fully Diluted) |
| |
| |
| |
|
BenQ(1) | | | | | | |
157, Shan-Ying Road, | | | | | | |
Gueishan, Taoyuan 333, | | | | | | |
Taiwan, ROC | | 719,889,928 | | 12.35% | | 12.35% |
All directors and supervisors as a group(2) | | 771,646,048 | | 13.23% | | 13.23% |
|
(1) | Formerly Acer Communications and Multimedia Inc. |
|
(2) | Calculated as the sum of: (a) with respect to directors and supervisors who are serving in their personal capacity, the number of shares held by such director or supervisor and (b) with respect to directors and supervisors who are serving in the capacity as legal representatives, the number of shares owned by such institutional or corporate shareholder for which such director or supervisor is a legal representative. |
None of our major shareholders has voting rights different from those of our other shareholders. To the best of our knowledge, we are not directly or indirectly controlled by another corporation, any foreign government, or any other natural or legal person, severally or jointly.
We are not aware of any arrangement that may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of our company.
As of December 31, 2005, approximately 5,830.5 million of our shares were outstanding. We believe that, of such shares, approximately 1,030.2 million shares in the form of ADSs were held by approximately 28,464 holders in the United States as of April 17, 2006.
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7.B. Related Party Transactions
We have not extended any loans or credit to any of our directors, supervisors or executive officers, and we have not provided guarantees for borrowings by any of these persons. We have not entered into any fee-paying contract with any of these persons for such person to provide services not within such person’s capacity as a director, supervisor or executive officer of the company.
We have, from time to time, purchased raw materials and components and sold our panels to our affiliated companies. We believe that these transactions with related parties have been conducted on arms’-length terms. Given the nature of our business, it is not practical for us to review many of these related party transactions on a day-to-day basis. However, at the meeting of our board of directors on April 11, 2002, we adopted an amended related party transactions policy which requires, among other things:
- pre-approval by a majority vote of disinterested directors of each sale to, or purchase of raw materials and components from, a related party that is in the ordinary course of our business, which transaction involves a transaction amount in excess of 5% of our net sales or raw materials and component purchases, as the case may be, for the previous three months on an unconsolidated basis, provided that any series of similar transactions with the same related party that collectively exceeds 40% of our net sales or raw materials and component purchases, as the case may be, for the previous three months on an unconsolidated basis shall also require pre-approval;
- periodic review by our board of directors of other related party transactions in the ordinary course of business;
- pre-approval by a majority vote of disinterested directors of related party transactions not in the ordinary course of business and not otherwise specified in our related party transaction policy; and
- recusal of any interested director from consideration of matters involving the company he or she represents or with respect to which the director might have a conflict of interest.
BenQ and Related Companies
BenQ
BenQ is our major shareholder, owning directly and indirectly a 12.35% equity interest in our company as of March 31, 2006. In addition, three of our nine directors and one of our three supervisors are legal representatives of BenQ. In 2004, we purchased shares in BenQ, which as of December 31, 2005 represents 5.08% of their outstanding shares, in order to establish a long-term strategic relationship with BenQ.
We sell panels for desktop monitors and LCD television to BenQ. We generated net sales to BenQ in the amount of NT$1,534.7 million in 2003, NT$2,310.9 million in 2004 and NT$2,083.6 million (US$63.5 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales were NT$558.7 million as of December 31, 2003, NT$475.8 million as of December 31, 2004 and NT$409.5 million (US$12.5 million) as of December 31, 2005.
We purchased TFT-LCD monitors, projectors, mobile phones and notebook computers from BenQ for use in our business. Our purchases from BenQ amounted to NT$218.4 million in 2003. We did not make any purchases from BenQ in 2004 and 2005.
BenQ (IT) Co., Ltd. Suzhou (“BQS”)
BQS, an affiliate of our company, was 100% indirectly owned by BenQ as of March 31, 2006. We sell desktop monitor display panels and consumer electronics display panels to BQS. We generated net sales to BQS in the amount of NT$18,781.4 million in 2003, NT$30,030.2 million in 2004 and NT$26,532.9 million (US$808.9 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales was NT$3,598.5 million as of December 31, 2003, NT$4,007.5 million as of December 31, 2004 and NT$4,821.8 million (US$147.0 million) as of December 31, 2005.
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BenQ Mexicana S.A. De C.V. (“BQX”)
BQX, an affiliate of our company, was 84.4% owned by BenQ as of March 31, 2006. We sell panels for desktop monitors to BQX. We generated net sales to BQX in the amount of NT$1,569.5 million in 2003, NT$850.7 million in 2004 and NT$370.2 million (US$11.3 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales was NT$178.2 million as of December 31, 2003, NT$85.1 million as of December 31, 2004 and NT$216.0 million (US$6.6 million) as of December 31, 2005.
Acer Inc.
Acer Inc. is our affiliate, owning a 6.89% equity interest in BenQ as of March 31, 2006. We sell notebook computer display panels and desktop monitor display panels to Acer Inc. We generated net sales to Acer Inc. in the amount of NT$3,894.7 million in 2003, NT$6,733.6 million in 2004 and NT$8,999.4 million (US$274.4 million) in 2005. Our receivables from these sales were NT$801.0 million as of December 31, 2003, NT$521.8 million as of December 31, 2004 and NT$1,967.4 million (US$60.0 million) as of December 31, 2005.
Wistron Corp. and affiliates
Wistron Corp., an affiliate of our company, was 18.27% owned by Acer Inc. as of March 31, 2006. We sell notebook computer display panels to Wistron. We generated net sales to Wistron in the amount of NT$736.3 million in 2003, NT$931.7 million in 2004 and NT$393.2 million (US$12.0 million) in 2005. Our receivable from these sales were NT$7.1 million as of December 31, 2003, NT$116.2 million as of December 31, 2004 and NT$51.3 million (US$1.6 million) as of December 31, 2005.
Wistron InfoComm (Philippines) Corp., an affiliate of our company, was 100.0% owned by Wistron Corp. as of March 31, 2006. We sell notebook computer display panels to Wistron InfoComm (Philippines) Corp. We generated net sales to Wistron InfoComm (Philippines) Corp. in the amount of NT$641.7 million in 2003, NT$906.9 million in 2004 and NT$167.7 million (US$5.1 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales were NT$177.8 million, NT$53.8 million and NT$27.7 million (US$0.8 million) as of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Wistron InfoComm (Kunshan) Corp., an affiliate of our company, was 100.0% owned by Wistron Corp. as of March 31, 2006. We sell notebook computer display panels to Wistron InfoComm (Kunshan) Corp. We generated net sales to Wistron InfoComm (Kunshan) Corp. in the amount of NT$819.6 million in 2004 and NT$961.8 million (US$29.3 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales were NT$213.0 million and NT$0.3 million (US$11,000) as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., an affiliate of our company, was 100.0% owned by Wistron Corp. as of March 31, 2006. We sell notebook computer display panels to Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. We generated net sales to Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. in the amount of NT$826.9 million (US$25.2 million) in 2005, and our receivables from these sales were NT$103.8 million (US$3.2 million) as of December 31, 2005.
Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp.
Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp, an affiliate of our company, was 100.0% indirectly owned by Acer Inc. as of March 31, 2006. In 2000, we entered into lease agreements with Min Tour Inc., the predecessor of Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp., for land, buildings, dormitories and equipment. We paid Min Tour related rent and administration fees in the amount of NT$89.3 million in 2003. In September 2003, Min Tour was acquired by Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp., and the obligations of Min Tour Inc. under these agreements were assumed by Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp. after the acquisition. We paid Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp. related rent and administration fees in the amount of NT$89.5 million in 2004. As security for our obligations under the lease agreement, we made refundable deposits, the outstanding balance of which amounted to NT$867.0 million as of December 31, 2004. No payments to Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp. were made in 2005 and the balance of refundable deposits was zero as of
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December 31, 2005. In January 2005, we purchased 193,058 square meters of land in Taoyuan, Taiwan from Acer Building Maintenance Management Corp. for a purchase price of approximately NT$2,774 million.
Cando Corporation
We owned 21.47% of Cando Corporation as of March 31, 2006. We purchased color filters from Cando Corporation in the amount of NT$1,494.4 million in 2003, NT$2,551.1 million in 2004 and NT$2,986.8 million (US$91.1 million) in 2005, and our payables from these purchases were NT$512.4 million, NT$633.9 million and NT$1,111.4 million (US$33.9 million) as of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Other Related Company
Fujitsu Display Technologies Corporation (“FDTC”)
We purchased a 20% ownership interest in FDTC in March 2003 and sold a 10% ownership interest in August 2004. We sold our remaining 10% ownership in FDTC in May 2005. We purchased liquid crystals, backlight units, driver integrated circuits and polarizers from FDTC in the amount of NT$310.7 million in 2003 and NT$316.1 million in 2004. We sold display panels for notebook and desktop computers to FDTC in the amount of NT$769.5 million in 2003, NT$2,538.8 million in 2004 and NT$31.2 million in 2005.
We entered into a Joint Research and Development and Cost Sharing Agreement with FDTC in March 2003 for joint research and development of TFT-LCD technologies. This agreement was terminated in July 2004. We paid NT$244.6 million and NT$182.3 million as cost shared for research and development project under this agreement in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In 2005, FDTC was merged into Fujitsu Limited.
7.C. Interests of Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information
8.A.1. See Item 18 for our audited consolidated financial statements.
8.A.2. See Item 18 for our audited consolidated financial statements, which cover the last three financial years.
8.A.3. See page F-2 for the audit report of our accountants, entitled “Report of Independent Registered PublicAccounting Firm.”
8.A.4. Not applicable.
8.A.5. Not applicable.
8.A.6. See note 21 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 18 of this annual report for theamount of our export sales.
8.A.7. Litigation
On September 17, 2003, Sharp Corporation filed a suit in the United States District Court of Northern District of California against us and eight other co-defendants, including BenQ, alleging infringement of certain of Sharp Corporation’s patents in the United States relating to the manufacturing of TFT-LCD panels. The suit is seeking, among other things, (1) a judgment that the defendants, including us, have directly infringed, contributorily infringed and/or actively induced the infringement of Sharp Corporation’s patents; (2) a preliminary and permanent injunction on the infringement of the patents through manufacture, use, import, offer for sale and/or sale of the infringing products and systems; (3) compensatory damages for the infringed patents, which in any event should not be less than the amount of reasonable royalty had such technology been licensed from Sharp Corporation, together with prejudgment interest, costs and disbursements as determined by the court; and (4) punitive damages of up to
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three times the amount found or assessed for infringement of patents due to the willful and deliberate nature of the infringement. On July 6, 2005, we entered into a patent cross license agreement with Sharp Corporation relating to the patents that are subject to the foregoing litigation. Sharp Corporation dismissed this lawsuit against us.
On April 13, 2004, Commissariat A L’Energie Atomique, a French government agency, filed a lawsuit against us, our U.S. subsidiary and sixteen other defendants in the United States Federal District Court for the District of Delaware. The suit alleges infringement of certain patents. The parties are currently in discovery. At this stage of the proceedings it is not possible to predict the outcome or likely outcome of the litigation, or the final costs of resolving the suit.
On January 19, 2005, Guardian Industries Corp. filed a suit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against us and twenty other co-defendants, including BenQ, alleging infringement of certain of Guardian Industries Corp.’s patents in the United States relating to the manufacturing of TFT-LCD panels. The suit is seeking, among other things, (1) a judgment that the defendants, including us, have directly infringed, contributorily infringed and/or actively induced the infringement of Guardian Industries Corp.’s patents; (2) a permanent injunction on further infringement of the patents; (3) compensatory damages for the infringed patents, which in any event should not be less than the amount of reasonable royalty had such technology been licensed from Guardian Industries Corp., together with prejudgment interest as determined by the court; (4) punitive damages of up to three times the amount found or assessed for infringement of patents due to the willful infringement; and (5) Guardian Industries Corp.’s reasonable attorney’s fees, expenses and costs incurred in the action. On June 1, 2005, we entered into a license agreement with Guardian Industries Corp. for its patents relating to the technology that is the subject of the foregoing litigation. As a result, on June 23, 2005, the suit by Guardian Industries Corp. against us and BenQ was dismissed.
On February 15, 2005, Sharp Corporation filed a suit in the United States District Court of Central District of California against us and nine other co-defendants, including BenQ, alleging infringement of certain of Sharp Corporation’s patents in the United States relating to the manufacturing of TFT-LCD panels. The suit is seeking, among other things, (1) a judgment that the defendants, including us, have directly infringed, contributorily infringed and/or actively induced the infringement of Sharp Corporation’s patents; (2) a preliminary and permanent injunction on the infringement of the patents through manufacture, use, import, offer for sale and/or sale of the infringing products and systems; (3) compensatory damages for the infringed patents, which in any event should not be less than the amount of reasonable royalty had such technology been licensed from Sharp Corporation, together with prejudgment interest, costs and disbursements as determined by the court; and (4) punitive damages of up to three times the amount found or assessed for infringement of patents due to the willful and deliberate nature of the infringement. On July 6, 2005, we entered into a patent cross license agreement with Sharp Corporation relating to the patents that are subject to the foregoing litigation. Sharp Corporation dismissed this lawsuit against us.
On February 24, 2005, Thomson Licensing S.A. and Thomson Licensing Inc. filed an action with the United States International Trade Commission against us and BenQ, alleging infringement of certain U.S. patents through the importation and sale in the U.S. of certain color TV receivers, color display monitors and components thereof (“accused products”). The action seeks, among other things, (1) the commencement of an investigation by the International Trade Commission to remedy the unlawful importation in the U.S., the sale for importation into the U.S. and/or the sale within the U.S. after importation by BenQ of the accused products; (2) the issuance of a permanent exclusion order excluding from entry into the U.S. all accused products manufactured by or for BenQ, that infringe one or more of the patents; and (3) a cease and desist order directing BenQ to immediately cease the importation into the U.S., sale for importation in the U.S. and sale in the U.S. after importation of the accused products and to immediately cease the demonstration, sale, use and movement or shipment of U.S. inventory of the accused products. On March 9, 2005, Thomson Licensing S.A. also filed a suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against us and BenQ, alleging infringement of the same patents that are the subject of the action filed with the International Trade Commission. Both lawsuits against us were dismissed in December 2005.
Our customers may from time to time be subject to lawsuits related to products that contain TFT-LCD panels manufactured by us. Two such lawsuits initiated by Sharp against BenQ and TECO Electric and Machinery Co. were filed in Japan. In July 2005 and March 2006, we entered into a patent cross license agreement and an
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amendment and restated patent cross license agreement, respectively, with Sharp Corporation. As a result, the lawsuits against AUO’s customers in Japan were dismissed.
8.A.8. Dividends and Dividend Policy
The following table sets forth as a percentage the stock dividends per share paid during 2001 on the shares outstanding on the relevant record date for each of Acer Display and Unipac. Other than in 2001, neither company had previously paid any stock dividends. In addition, neither company had previously paid any cash dividends.
Dividend Paid in 2001 | | Stock Dividend Per Share(1) | | Dividend Payment Date | | Total Number of Shares Issued as Stock Dividend(2) | | Aggregate Stock Dividend Amount | | Outstanding Shares as of August 31, 2001 (4) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| | | | | | | | NT$(3) | | US$ | | |
| | | | | | (in thousands) | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Acer Display Technology, | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Inc | | 1.60 | | September 3, 2001 | | 208,300 | | 2,083,000 | | 63,506 | | 1,458,300,000 |
Unipac Optoelectronics | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Corporation | | 1.42 | | July 9, 2001 | | 227,120 | | 2,271,200 | | 69,244 | | 1,757,120,000 |
|
(1) | Stock dividends are declared in NT dollars per share. A shareholder receives as a stock dividend the number of shares equal to the NT dollar amount per share of the dividend declared, multiplied by the number of shares owned by the shareholder, and divided by the par value of NT$10.00 per share. Fractional shares are not issued, but are paid in cash. |
|
(2) | Total number of shares issued as stock dividends includes shares issued from retained earnings and from capital reserves. |
|
(3) | The NT dollar amount of stock dividends paid is calculated based upon the par value of NT$10.00 per share. |
|
(4) | The merger of Acer Display and Unipac was completed on September 1, 2001. |
No cash or stock dividends were distributed for the year 2001 due to our net loss in that year. We distributed cash dividends of NT$0.5 per share on August 11, 2003 and stock dividends of NT$0.5 per share for the year 2002 on July 31, 2003. We distributed a cash dividend of NT$1.2 per share on July 23, 2004 and a stock dividend of NT$0.5 per share on July 12, 2004 for the year 2003. We distributed a cash dividend of NT$1.2 per share on September 15, 2005 and a stock dividend of NT$0.9 per share on August 26, 2005 for the year 2004.
Our articles of incorporation provide that the cash portion of any dividend shall generally not be less than 10% of the annual dividend. However, the ratio for cash dividends may be adjusted in accordance with actual earnings and operation conditions. The form, frequency and amount of future dividends will depend upon our earnings, cash flow, financial condition, reinvestment opportunities and other factors.
We are generally not permitted under the ROC Company Law to distribute dividends or to make any other distributions to shareholders for any fiscal year in which we have no earnings. Our articles of incorporation provide that we shall allocate 10% of our annual earnings as a legal reserve in each fiscal year after:
- payment of all income taxes; and
- deduction of any past losses.
Earnings distributions are made in the following manner:
- 5% to 10% of the earnings to be distributed is distributable as a bonus for employees;
- no more than 1% of the earnings to be distributed is distributable as remuneration to directors and supervisors; and
- all or a portion of the balance is distributable as dividend and bonus to our shareholders.
In addition to permitting dividends to be paid out of accumulated earnings after deducting losses, we are permitted under the ROC Company Law to make distributions to our shareholders of additional shares by capitalizing reserves, including the legal reserve. However, the capitalized portion payable out of our legal reserve is
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limited to 50% of the total accumulated legal reserve, and only if and to the extent the accumulated legal reserve exceeds 50% of our paid-in capital. See “Item 10. Additional Information—Articles of Incorporation—Dividends and Distributions.” For information as to ROC taxes on dividends and distributions, see “Item 10. Taxation—ROC Tax Considerations—Dividends.”
The holders of ADSs will be entitled to receive dividends to the same extent as the holders of our shares, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement.
Any cash dividends will be paid to the depositary in NT dollars and, after deduction of any applicable ROC taxes and fees and expenses of the depositary and custodian, except as otherwise provided in the deposit agreement, will be converted by the depositary into U.S. dollars and paid to the holders of ADSs. Whenever the depositary receives any free distribution of shares, including stock dividends, on any ADSs that the holders of ADSs hold, the depositary may, and will if we so instruct, deliver to the holders of ADSs additional ADSs which represent the number of shares received in the free distribution, after deduction of applicable taxes and the fees and expenses of the depositary and the custodian. If additional ADSs are not so delivered, each ADS that the holders of ADSs hold shall represent its proportionate interest in the additional shares distributed.
8.B. Significant Changes
We have not experienced any significant changes since the date of the annual financial statements.
ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING
9.A. Offering and Listing Details
Our shares have been listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange since September 8, 2000 under the number “2409.” The ADSs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AUO” since May 23, 2002. The table below sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices and the average daily volume of trading activity on the Taiwan Stock Exchange for the shares and the high and low closing prices and the average daily volume of trading activity on the New York Stock Exchange for the shares represented by ADSs.
| | Taiwan Stock Exchange | | New York Stock Exchange(1) |
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| |
|
| | Closing Price per Share | | Average Daily Trading Volume | | Closing Price per ADS | | Average Daily Trading Volume |
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| | |
| |
| | High | | Low | | | High | | Low | |
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| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | (NT$) | | (NT$) | | (in thousands of shares) | | (US$) | | (US$) | | (in thousands of ADSs) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
2001: | | 35.62 | | 11.38 | | 36,889.47 | | | | | | |
2002: | | 58.57 | | 15.24 | | 93,256.21 | | 12.33 | | 4.30 | | 733.59 |
2003: | | 49.90 | | 16.86 | | 95,656.02 | | 14.80 | | 4.81 | | 438.40 |
2004: | | 78.50 | | 41.40 | | 97,560.92 | | 27.93 | | 12.47 | | 3,274.97 |
First Quarter | | 63.50 | | 41.40 | | 86,004.93 | | 21.05 | | 12.47 | | 2,860.20 |
Second Quarter | | 78.50 | | 48.90 | | 107,158.69 | | 27.93 | | 15.24 | | 4,152.33 |
Third Quarter | | 50.50 | | 37.50 | | 87,191.13 | | 15.77 | | 11.08 | | 3,062.58 |
Fourth Quarter | | 46.20 | | 33.20 | | 69,850.15 | | 14.38 | | 9.77 | | 2,360.43 |
2005: | | 55.70 | | 41.50 | | 58,771.47 | | 18.14 | | 12.73 | | 1,848.57 |
First Quarter | | 49.90 | | 41.50 | | 58,172.41 | | 16.48 | | 12.73 | | 2,056.82 |
Second Quarter | | 55.70 | | 45.45 | | 59,284.95 | | 18.14 | | 14.57 | | 1,650.07 |
Third Quarter | | 54.50 | | 40.50 | | 51,883.38 | | 17.42 | | 12.25 | | 2,010.34 |
Fourth Quarter | | 49.00 | | 36.05 | | 55,640.56 | | 15.01 | | 10.93 | | 2,459.76 |
November | | 48.30 | | 42.45 | | 52,806.94 | | 14.45 | | 12.65 | | 2,234.75 |
December | | 49.00 | | 44.50 | | 54,540.85 | | 15.01 | | 13.27 | | 2,312.22 |
2006 (through May 30): | | | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | 55.20 | | 45.55 | | 59,639.98 | | 17.30 | | 14.15 | | 2,457.97 |
January | | 50.00 | | 45.55 | | 65,112.89 | | 15.40 | | 14.15 | | 2,819.67 |
February | | 55.20 | | 48.50 | | 62,888.38 | | 17.30 | | 14.93 | | 2,675.84 |
March | | 54.30 | | 46.90 | | 52,473.95 | | 16.75 | | 14.42 | | 1,963.47 |
Second Quarter (through May 30) | | 55.10 | | 46.50 | | 57,900.41 | | 17.56 | | 14.25 | | 2,019.62 |
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| | Taiwan Stock Exchange | | New York Stock Exchange(1) |
| |
| |
|
| | Closing Price per Share | | Average Daily Trading Volume | | Closing Price per ADS | | Average Daily Trading Volume |
| |
| | |
| |
| | High | | Low | | | High | | Low | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | (NT$) | | (NT$) | | (in thousands of shares) | | (US$) | | (US$) | | (in thousands of ADSs) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
April | | 54.20 | | 47.90 | | 58,162.42 | | 17.20 | | 14.41 | | 2,169.85 |
May (through May 30) | | 55.10 | | 46.50 | | 57,651.50 | | 17.56 | | 14.25 | | 1,883.71 |
|
(1) | Each ADS represents the right to receive 10 common shares. |
9.B. Plan of Distribution
Not applicable.
9.C. Markets
The principal trading markets for our shares are the Taiwan Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, on which our shares trade in the form of ADSs.
9.D. Selling Shareholders
Not applicable.
9.E. Dilution
Not applicable.
9.F. Expenses of the Issue
Not applicable.
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
10.A. Share Capital
Not applicable.
10.B. Articles of Incorporation
The following statements summarize the material elements of our capital structure and the more important rights and privileges of our shareholders conferred by ROC law and our Articles of Incorporation.
Objects and Purpose
The scope of our business as set forth in Article 2 of our articles of incorporation includes the research, development, production, manufacture and sale of the following products: plasma display and related systems, liquid crystal display and related systems, OLED and related systems, amorphous silicon photo sensor device parts and components, thin film photo diode sensor device parts and components, thin film transistor photo sensor device parts and components, touch imaging sensors, full color active-matrix flat panel displays, field emission displays, single crystal liquid crystal displays, original equipment manufacturing for amorphous silicon thin film transistor process and flat panel display modules, original design manufacturing and original equipment manufacturing business for flat panel display modules and the simultaneous operation of a trade business relating to our business.
Directors
Our board of directors is elected by our shareholders and is responsible for the management of our business. Our articles of incorporation provide that our board of directors is to have between seven to nine members. Currently, our board of directors is composed of nine directors. The chairman of our board is elected by the
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directors. The chairman presides at all meetings of our board of directors, and also has the authority to represent our company. The term of office for our directors is three years.
As required under our articles of incorporation, we currently have three supervisors. In accordance with the ROC Company Law, supervisors are elected by our shareholders and cannot concurrently serve as our directors, executive officers or other staff members. The term of office for supervisors is three years. The supervisors’ duties and powers include, but are not limited to, investigation of our financial condition, inspection of corporate records, verification of statements by the board of directors, giving reports at shareholders’ meetings, representation of us in negotiations with our directors and giving notification, when appropriate, to the board of directors to cease acting in contravention of applicable law or regulations or our articles of incorporation or beyond our scope of business.
The election of our directors and supervisors by our shareholders may be conducted by means of cumulative voting or other voting mechanics, if any, adopted in our articles of incorporation. Pursuant to the ROC Company Law, the election of our directors and supervisors is currently conducted by means of cumulative voting, as our articles of incorporation do not provide for another voting mechanism. The most recent election for all of the directors and supervisors was held on April 29, 2004.
Pursuant to the ROC Company Law, a person may serve as a director or supervisor in his or her personal capacity or as the representative of another legal entity. A legal entity that owns our shares may be elected as a director or supervisor, in which case a natural person must be designated to act as the legal entity’s representative. A legal entity that is our shareholder may designate its representative to be elected as our director or supervisor on its behalf. In the event several representatives are designated by the same legal entity, any or all of them may be elected. A natural person who serves as the representative of a legal entity as a director or supervisor may be removed or replaced at any time at the discretion of such legal entity, and the replacement director or supervisor may serve the remainder of the term of office of the replaced director or supervisor. Currently, four of our directors and two of our supervisors are representatives of other legal entities, as shown in “Item 6.—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Directors and Senior Management—Executive Officers.”
Shares
As of May 1, 2006, our authorized share capital was NT$70 billion, divided into seven billion common shares, of which 100 million shares are reserved for the issuance of shares for employee stock options, and 5,830,547,132 shares were issued.
On June 14, 2005, our shareholders approved the issuance of 542,506,235 common shares for purposes of distributing stock dividends and employee stock bonuses. The stock issuance was authorized by the government authorities. The record date for this stock issuance is July 20, 2005. On July 22, 2005, we issued 330 million shares of our common stock in the form of 33 million ADSs. Each ADS represents the right to receive 10 shares of common stock. The public offer price per ADS was US$15.35.
All shares presently issued, including those underlying our ADSs, are fully paid and in registered form, and existing shareholders are not obligated to contribute additional capital.
New Shares and Preemptive Rights
The issuance of new shares requires the prior approval of our board of directors. If our issuance of any new shares will result in any change in our authorized share capital, we are required under ROC law to amend our articles of incorporation, which requires approval of our shareholders in a shareholders’ meeting. We must also obtain the approval of, or submit a registration to, the ROC Financial Supervisory Commission and the Hsinchu Science Park Administration Bureau, as applicable. Generally, when a company issues capital stock for cash, 10% to 15% of the issue must be offered to its employees. In addition, if a public company intends to offer new shares for cash, at least 10% of the issue must also be offered to the public. This percentage can be increased by a resolution passed at a shareholders’ meeting, which will reduce the number of new shares in which existing shareholders may have preemptive rights. Unless the percentage of the shares offered to the public is increased by a resolution, existing shareholders of the company have a preemptive right to acquire the remaining 75% to 80% of the issue in proportion to their existing shareholdings.
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Register of Shareholders and Record Date
Our share registrar, SinoPac Securities Corporation, maintains the register of our shareholders at its office in Taipei, Taiwan, and enters transfers of our shares in the register upon presentation of, among other documents, the certificates in respect of our shares transferred. The ROC Company Law permits us, by giving advance public notice, to set a record date and close the register of shareholders for a specified period in order to determine the shareholders or pledgees that are entitled to certain rights pertaining to our shares. Under the ROC Company Law, our register of shareholders should be closed for a period of sixty days before each ordinary meeting of shareholders, thirty days before each extraordinary meeting of shareholders and five days before each record date.
Transfer of Shares
Under the ROC Company Law, shares are transferred by endorsement and delivery of the related share certificates. In addition, transferees must have their names and addresses registered on our register in order to assert shareholders’ rights against us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shareholders are required to file their specimen seals with our share registrar. The settlement of trading of our shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange will be carried out on the book-entry system maintained by Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation.
Shareholders’ Meetings
We are required to hold an annual ordinary shareholders’ meeting once every calendar year, generally within six months after the end of each fiscal year. Any shareholder who holds 1% or more of our issued and outstanding common shares may submit one written proposal for discussion at our annual ordinary shareholders meeting. Our directors may convene an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting whenever they think fit, and they must do so if requested in writing by shareholders holding not less than 3% of our paid-in share capital who have held their shares for more than a year. In addition, any of our supervisors may convene a shareholders’ meeting under certain circumstances. For a public company in Taiwan, such as our company, at least 15 days’ advance written notice must be given of every extraordinary shareholders’ meeting and at least 30 days’ advance written notice must be given of every annual ordinary shareholders’ meeting. Unless otherwise required by law or by our articles of incorporation, voting for an ordinary resolution requires an affirmative vote of a simple majority of those present and voting. A distribution of cash dividends would be an example of an act requiring an ordinary resolution. A special resolution may be adopted in a meeting of shareholders convened with a quorum of holders of at least two-thirds of our total outstanding shares at which the holders of at least a majority of our shares represented at the meeting vote in favor thereof. A special resolution is necessary for various matters under ROC law, including:
- any amendment to our articles of incorporation;
- our dissolution or amalgamation;
- a merger or spin-off;
- transfers of the whole or a substantial part of our business or properties;
- the acquisition of the entire business of another company which would have a significant impact on our operations;
- the distribution of any stock dividend; or
- the removal of directors or supervisors.
However, in the case of a public company such as our company, a special resolution may be adopted by holders of at least two-thirds of the shares represented at a meeting of shareholders at which holders of at least a majority of the total outstanding shares are present.
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Voting Rights
According to the ROC Company Law, a holder of our shares has one vote for each share held at shareholders’ meetings. However, (i) treasury shares or (ii) our common shares held by an entity in which our company owns more than 50% of the voting shares or paid-in capital, or Controlled Entity, or by a third entity in which our company and a Controlled Entity jointly own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting shares or paid-in capital cannot be voted. There is cumulative voting for the election of directors and supervisors. In all other matters, shareholders must cast all their votes the same way on any resolution. Voting rights attached to our common shares may be exercised by personal attendance or proxy, or at our discretion, by written or electronic ballot.
If any shareholder is represented at an ordinary or extraordinary shareholders’ meeting by proxy, a valid proxy form must be delivered to us five days before the commencement of the ordinary or extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. Voting rights attached to our shares that are exercised by our shareholders’ proxy are subject to ROC proxy regulations. Any shareholder who has a personal interest in a matter to be discussed at our shareholders’ meeting, the outcome of which may impair our interests, is not permitted to vote or exercise voting rights nor vote or exercise voting rights on behalf of another shareholder on such matter.
Except for trust enterprises or share transfer agents approved by the ROC Financial Supervisory Commission, where one person is appointed as proxy by two or more shareholders who together hold more than 3% of our shares, the votes of those shareholders in excess of 3% of our total issued shares will not be counted.
You will not be able to exercise voting rights on the shares underlying your ADSs on an individual basis.
Dividends and Distributions
We may distribute dividends in any year in which we have accumulated earnings. Before distributing a dividend to shareholders following the end of a fiscal year, we must recover any past losses, pay all outstanding taxes, and set aside in a legal reserve 10% of our annual earnings for that fiscal year until our legal reserve equals our paid-in capital.
At the shareholders’ annual ordinary meeting, our board of directors submits to the shareholders for approval proposals for the distribution of a dividend or the making of any other distribution to shareholders from our accumulated earnings or reserves for the preceding fiscal year. Dividends may be distributed either in cash, in the form of shares or a combination of cash and shares. Our articles of incorporation provide that the cash portion of any dividend shall generally not be less than 10% of the annual dividend. However, the ratio for cash dividends may be adjusted in accordance with actual earnings and operating conditions. Dividends are paid proportionately to shareholders as listed on the register of shareholders on the relevant record date.
Our articles of incorporation provide that we shall allocate 10% of our annual earnings as a legal reserve in each fiscal year after:
- payment of all income taxes; and
- deduction of any past losses.
Earnings distributions are made in the following manner:
- 5% to 10% of the earnings to be distributed is distributable as a bonus for employees;
- no more than 1% of the earnings to be distributed is distributable as remuneration to directors and supervisors; and
- all or a portion of the balance is distributable as a dividend and bonus to our shareholders.
In addition to permitting dividends to be paid out of accumulated earnings after deducting losses, we are permitted under the ROC Company Law to make distributions to our shareholders of additional shares by capitalizing reserves, including the legal reserve. However, the capitalized portion payable out of our legal reserve is
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limited to 50% of the total accumulated legal reserve, and only if and to the extent the accumulated legal reserve exceeds 50% of our paid-in capital.
For information on the dividends paid by us in recent years, see “Item 8. Financial Information—Dividends and Dividend Policy.” For information as to ROC taxes on dividends and distributions, see “Item 10.—Additional Information—Taxation—ROC Tax Considerations—Dividends.”
Acquisition of Shares by Our Company
With limited exceptions under the ROC Company Law, we are not permitted to acquire our shares.
In addition, pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Law, we may, by a board resolution adopted by majority consent at a meeting with two-thirds of our directors present, purchase our shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or by a tender offer, in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the ROC Financial Supervisory Commission, for the following purposes:
- to transfer shares to our employees;
- to facilitate conversion arising from bonds with warrants, preferred shares with warrants, convertible bonds, convertible preferred shares or certificates of warrants issued by our company into shares; and
- if necessary, to maintain our credit and our shareholders’ equity; provided that the shares so purchased shall be cancelled thereafter.
We are not allowed to purchase more than 10% of our aggregate issued and outstanding shares. In addition, we may not spend more than the aggregate amount of our retained earnings, the premium from issuing stock and the realized portion of the capital reserve to purchase our shares.
We may not pledge or hypothecate any purchased shares. In addition, we may not exercise any shareholders’ rights attaching to such shares. In the event that we purchase our shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or through a tender offer, our affiliates, directors, supervisors, officers and their respective spouses and minor children and/or nominees are prohibited from selling any of our shares during the period in which we purchase our shares.
According to the ROC Company Law, as last amended and effective from February 5, 2006, an entity in which our company directly or indirectly owns more than 50% of the voting shares or paid-in capital, which is referred to as a controlled entity, may not purchase our shares. Also, if our company and a controlled entity jointly own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting shares or paid-in capital of another entity, which is referred to as a third entity, the third entity may not purchase shares in either our company or a controlled entity.
On October 14, 2002, our board of directors approved a buyback program for market repurchases of up to 10 million shares during the period between October 15, 2002 and December 14, 2002 at the target purchase price of between NT$15 and NT$20 per share, with a view to transferring these shares to our employees. We did not make any repurchases under this buyback program. On December 16, 2002, our board of directors approved another buyback program for market repurchases of up to 20 million shares during the period between December 17, 2002 and February 16, 2003 at the target price of between NT$17.5 and NT$23.5 per share for the same purpose. We repurchased an aggregate of 12 million shares at an average purchase price of NT$20.9 per share, or an aggregate purchase price of NT$250.8 million, under this buyback program.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of our liquidation, the assets remaining after payment of all debts, liquidation expenses, taxes and distributions to holders of preferred shares, if any, will be distributed pro rata to our shareholders in accordance with the ROC Company Law.
Rights to Bring Shareholder Suits
Under the ROC Company Law, a shareholder may bring suit against us in the following events:
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- Within 30 days from the date on which a shareholders’ resolution is adopted, a shareholder may file a lawsuit to annul a shareholders’ resolution if the procedure for convening a shareholders’ meeting or the method of resolution violates any law or regulation or our articles of incorporation.
- If the substance of a resolution adopted at a shareholders’ meeting contradicts any applicable law or regulation or our articles of incorporation, a shareholder may bring a suit to determine the validity of such resolution.
Shareholders may bring suit against our directors and supervisors under the following circumstances:
- Shareholders who have continuously held 3% or more of the total number of issued and outstanding shares for a period of one year or longer may request in writing that a supervisor institute an action against a director on our behalf. In case the supervisor fails to institute an action within 30 days after receiving such request, the shareholders may institute an action on our behalf. In the event that shareholders institute an action, a court may, upon motion of the defendant, order such shareholders to furnish appropriate security.
- In the event that any director, supervisor, officer or shareholder who holds more than 10% of our issued and outstanding shares and their respective spouse and minor children and/or nominees sells shares within six months after the acquisition of such shares, or repurchases the shares within six months after the sale, we may make a claim for recovery of any profits realized from the sale and purchase. If our board of directors or our supervisors fail to make a claim for recovery, any shareholder may request that our board of directors or our supervisors exercise the right of claim within 30 days. In the event our directors or our supervisors fail to exercise such right during such 30-day period, such requesting shareholder will have the right to make a claim for such recovery on our behalf. Our directors and supervisors will be jointly and severally liable for damages suffered by us as a result of their failure to exercise the right of claim.
Financial Statements
For a period of at least ten days before our annual shareholders’ meeting, we must make available our annual financial statements at our principal offices in Hsinchu, Taiwan and our share registrar in Taipei, for inspection by our shareholders.
Transfer Restrictions
Our directors, supervisors, officers and shareholders holding more than 10% of our issued and outstanding shares and their respective spouse and minor children and/or nominees, which we refer to as insiders, are required to report any changes in their shareholding to us on a monthly basis. No insider is permitted to sell shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange for six months from the date on which the relevant person becomes an insider. In addition, the number of shares that insiders can sell or transfer on the Taiwan Stock Exchange on a daily basis is limited by ROC law. Furthermore, insiders may sell or transfer our shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange only after reporting to the ROC Financial Supervisory Commission at least three days before the transfer, provided that such reporting is not required if the number of shares transferred does not exceed 10,000.
Other Rights of Shareholders
Under the ROC Company Law, dissenting shareholders are entitled to appraisal rights in the event of a spin-off, a merger or various other major corporate actions. Dissenting shareholders may request us to redeem their shares at a fair price to be determined by mutual agreement. If no agreement can be reached, the valuation will be determined by court order. Dissenting shareholders may exercise their appraisal rights by notifying us before the related shareholders’ meeting or by raising and registering their dissent at the shareholders’ meeting.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our shares is SinoPac Securities Corporation, 3rd Floor, 53, Po Ai Road, Taipei, Taiwan; telephone number: 886-2-2381-6288. The transfer agent and registrar for our ADS is Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich Street, 14th Floor, New York, New York, 10013, USA; telephone number: 1-877-248-4237.
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10.C. Material Contracts
License from Matsushita. Unipac entered into a five-year Technology Assistance and Patent License Agreement with Matsushita effective as of October 30, 1998, which provides for the non-transferable and non-exclusive license and technical support to manufacture TFT-LCD panels between 13.3 inches and 19.0 inches at our previous second-generation fab and our 3.5 -generation fab. The agreement provides for a fixed license fee, and, subject to a maximum payment requirement, ongoing royalty payments at a percentage of the sales of the panels we manufacture using the licensed technology. Currently, we pay royalties for production of 13.3 -inch and 14.1 -inch TFT-LCD panels manufactured at one of our 3.5 -generation fabs. This agreement expired on October 31, 2003, and we are entitled to a grace period of three years during which we can continue using the license while proceeding with negotiation efforts for license renewal.
License from FDTC (Fujitsu Limited). We have a license agreement with FDTC (which was merged into Fujitsu Limited), effective as of March 31, 2003, which provides for the non-transferable and non-exclusive license and technical support to manufacture all of our TFT-LCD panels at each of our facilities. The agreement provides for an initial license fee and fixed royalty payments to be paid following the effective date of the agreement.
Licenses from SEL. We entered into a license agreement with SEL effective as of September 1, 2003 in connection with our settlement and mutual release relating to a suit brought by SEL. The license agreement provides for the non-transferable and non-exclusive license to manufacture all of our amorphous silicon TFT-LCD panels and modules at each of our facilities using intellectual property owned by SEL. The agreement provides for a fixed license fee and ongoing royalty payments.
10.D. Exchange Controls
We have extracted from publicly available documents the information presented in this section. Please note that citizens of the PRC and entities organized in the PRC are subject to special ROC laws, rules and regulations, which are not discussed in this section.
The ROC’s Foreign Exchange Control Statute and regulations provide that all foreign exchange transactions must be executed by banks designated to handle foreign exchange transactions by the Central Bank of China. Current regulations favor trade-related foreign exchange transactions. Consequently, foreign currency earned from exports of merchandise and services may now be retained and used freely by exporters. All foreign currency needed for the importation of merchandise and services may be purchased freely from the designated foreign exchange banks.
Aside from trade-related foreign exchange transactions, Taiwan companies and residents may remit to and from Taiwan foreign currencies of up to US$50 million and US$5 million, respectively, each calendar year. A requirement is also imposed on all private enterprises to report all medium- and long-term foreign debt with the Central Bank of China.
In addition, a foreign person without an alien resident card or an unrecognized foreign entity may remit to and from Taiwan foreign currencies of up to US$100,000 per remittance if required documentation is provided to ROC authorities. This limit applies only to remittances involving a conversion between NT dollars and U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies.
10.E. Taxation
ROC Tax Considerations
The following summarizes the principal ROC tax consequences of owning and disposing of ADSs and shares if you are not a resident of Taiwan. You will be considered a non-resident of Taiwan for the purposes of this section if:
- you are an individual and you are not physically present in Taiwan for 183 days or more during any calendar year; or
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- you are an entity and you are organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than Taiwan and have no fixed place of business or other permanent establishment or business agent in Taiwan.
You should consult your own tax advisors concerning the tax consequences of owning ADSs or shares in Taiwan and any other relevant taxing jurisdiction to which you are subject.
Dividends
Dividends, whether in cash or shares, declared by us out of retained earnings and paid out to a holder that is not a Taiwan resident in respect of shares represented by ADSs or shares are subject to ROC withholding tax. The current rate of withholding for non-residents is 20% of the amount of the distribution, in the case of cash dividends, or of the par value of the shares distributed, in the case of stock dividends. As discussed below in “Retained Earnings Tax,” our after-tax earnings will be subject to an undistributed retained earnings tax. To the extent dividends are paid out of retained earnings that have been subject to the retained earnings tax, the amount of such tax will be used by us to offset the withholding tax liability on such dividend. Consequently, the effective rate of withholding on dividends paid out of retained earnings previously subject to the retained earnings tax will be less than 20%. There is no withholding tax with respect to stock dividends declared out of our capital reserves.
Capital Gains
Gains realized on ROC securities transactions inside or outside of Taiwan are currently exempt from ROC income tax. In addition, sales of ADSs by non-resident holders are not regarded as sales of ROC securities and, as a result, any gains on such transactions are currently not subject to ROC income tax.
Securities Transaction Tax
The ROC government imposes a securities transaction tax that will apply to sales of shares, but not to sales ofADSs. The transaction tax is payable by the seller for the sale of shares and is equal to 0.3% of the sales proceeds.
Estate and Gift Tax
ROC estate tax is payable on any property within the ROC of a deceased individual, and ROC gift tax is payable on any property within the ROC donated by any individual. Estate tax is currently payable at rates ranging from 2% of the first NT$600,000 to 50% of amounts over NT$100,000,000. Gift tax is payable at rates ranging from 4% of the first NT$600,000 to 50% of amounts over NT$45,000,000. Under ROC estate and gift tax laws, shares issued by ROC companies, such as our shares, are deemed located in the ROC regardless of the location of the holder. It is unclear whether or not ADSs will be deemed assets located in the ROC for the purpose of ROC gift and estate taxes.
Preemptive Rights
Distributions of statutory preemptive rights for shares in compliance with the ROC Company Law are not subject to ROC tax. Proceeds derived from sales of statutory preemptive rights evidenced by securities by a nonresident are exempt from income tax, but may be subject to an ROC securities transaction tax, discussed above. Proceeds derived from sales of statutory preemptive rights that are not evidenced by securities are subject to income tax at the rate of:
- 25% of the gains realized by non-Taiwan entities; and
- 35% of the gains realized by non-Taiwan individuals.
We have the sole discretion to determine whether statutory preemptive rights are evidenced by securities or not.
Retained Earnings Tax
Under the ROC Income Tax Laws, we are subject to a 10% retained earnings tax on our after-tax earnings generated after January 1, 1998 that are not distributed in the following year. Any retained earnings tax so paid will
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further reduce the retained earnings available for future distribution. According to the amendment to the ROC Income Tax Law, effective from June 1, 2006, commencing from 2005, the undistributed retained earnings should be calculated in accordance with our audited financial statements rather than our tax returns submitted to the ROC taxation authority. When we declare dividends out of those retained earnings, a maximum amount of up to 10% of the declared dividends will be credited against the 20% withholding tax imposed on the non-resident holders of our ADS or shares.
Tax Treaty
Taiwan does not have an income tax treaty with the United States. Taiwan has tax treaties for the avoidance of double taxation with Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, Netherlands, Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Macedonia, Swaziland, Gambia, United Kingdom, Senegal, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark which may limit the rate of ROC withholding tax on dividends paid with respect to shares. It is unclear whether, if you hold ADSs, you will be considered to hold shares for the purposes of these treaties. Accordingly, if you may otherwise be entitled to the benefits of an income tax treaty, you should consult your tax advisors concerning your eligibility for the benefits with respect to ADSs.
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for United States Holders
The following is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our ADSs or shares to the U.S. Holders described in this annual report, but it does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular person’s decision to acquire such securities. The discussion set forth below applies only to beneficial owners of our ADSs or shares that are U.S. Holders, hold the ADSs or shares as capital assets and are non-residents of Taiwan as defined under “ROC Tax Considerations.” You are a “U.S. Holder” if, for United States federal income tax purposes, you are:
- a citizen or resident of the United States;
- a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof; or
- an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.
This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”), administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. In addition, this summary is based in part on representations by the depositary and assumes that each obligation under the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be performed in accordance with its terms. This summary does not contain a detailed description of all the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you in light of your particular circumstances and does not address the effects of any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws (or other U.S. federal tax consequences, such as U.S. federal estate or gift tax consequences). In addition, it does not describe the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to U.S. Holders subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, such as:
- dealers and traders in securities or foreign currencies;
- certain financial institutions;
- insurance companies;
- tax-exempt organizations;
- partnerships or other entities classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
- persons liable for alternative minimum tax;
- persons holding ADSs or shares as part of a hedge, straddle, conversion transaction, or other integrated transaction;
- persons owning, or treated as owning, 10% or more of our voting stock;
- U.S. Holders whose functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar; or
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- persons who acquired ADSs or shares pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation.
If a partnership holds our ADSs or shares, the tax treatment of a partner will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding ADSs or shares, you are urged to consult your own tax advisor.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the particular United States federal income tax consequences to you of the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs or shares, as well as the consequences to you arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
The U.S. Treasury has expressed concerns that parties involved in transactions in which depositary shares are pre-released may be taking actions that are inconsistent with the claiming of foreign tax credits by the holders of ADSs. Such actions would also be inconsistent with the claiming of the reduced rate of tax applicable to dividends received by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders. Accordingly, the analysis of the creditability of ROC taxes and the availability of the reduced tax rate for dividends received by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, each described below, could be affected by actions that may be taken by parties to whom the ADSs are pre-released.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. Holder who is the beneficial owner of an ADS will generally be treated as the owner of the shares underlying the ADS. Accordingly, no gain or loss will be recognized if you exchange ADSs for the underlying shares represented by those ADSs.
This discussion assumes that we were not a passive foreign investment company for our 2005 taxable year, as discussed below.
Taxation of Dividends
Distributions you receive on your ADSs or shares, other than certain pro rata distributions of shares, including amounts withheld in respect of ROC withholding taxes, will generally be treated as dividend income to you to the extent the distributions are made from our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). The amount of a dividend will include any amounts withheld by us or our paying agent in respect of ROC taxes (reduced by any credit against such withholding tax as a result of the 10% retained earnings tax previously paid by us). The amount will be treated as foreign source dividend income to you and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to U.S. corporations under the Code.
Dividends paid in New Taiwan dollars will be included in your income in a U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date of your (or, in the case of ADSs, the depositary’s) receipt of the dividend, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. If the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, you generally should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend income. You may have foreign currency gain or loss, which will be U.S. source, if you do not convert the amount of such dividend into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt.
Subject to limitations that may vary depending upon your circumstances and the concerns expressed by the U.S. Treasury described above, you may be entitled to a credit against your U.S. federal income taxes for the amount of any ROC taxes that are withheld from dividend distributions made to you. In determining the amounts withheld in respect of ROC taxes, any reduction of the amount withheld on account of an ROC credit in respect of the 10% retained earnings tax imposed on us is not considered a withholding tax and will not be treated as distributed to you or creditable by you against your U.S. federal income tax liability. The limitation on foreign taxes eligible for credit is calculated separately with respect to specific classes of income. The rules governing the foreign tax credit are complex. We therefore urge you to consult your own tax advisor regarding the availability of the foreign tax credit under your particular circumstances. Instead of claiming a credit, you may, at your election, deduct otherwise creditable ROC taxes in computing your taxable income, subject to generally applicable limitations.
Subject to applicable limitations that may vary depending upon a U.S. Holder’s individual circumstances, dividends paid to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders of our ADSs or shares in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011 will be taxable at a maximum tax rate of 15%. Non-corporate U.S. Holders of ADSs should consult
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their own tax advisors to determine whether they are subject to any special rules that limit their ability to be taxed at this favorable rate.
It is possible that pro rata distributions of shares to all shareholders may be made in a manner that is not subject to U.S. federal income tax, but is subject to ROC withholding tax as discussed above under “ROC Tax Considerations—Dividends.” Such distribution will not give rise to U.S. federal income tax against which the ROC withholding tax imposed on these distributions may be credited. Accordingly, you may not be able to credit such ROC tax against your U.S. federal income tax liability unless you have other foreign source income in the appropriate foreign tax credit class of income. The basis of any new ADSs or shares you receive as a result of a pro rata distribution of shares by us will be determined by allocating your basis in the old ADSs or shares between the old ADSs or shares and the new ADSs or shares received, based on their relative fair market values on the date of distribution.
Taxation of Capital Gains
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, when you sell or otherwise dispose of your ADSs or shares, you will recognize U.S. source capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the U.S. dollar value of the amount realized for the ADSs or shares and your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs or shares, determined in U.S. dollars. Any such gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if you held the ADSs or shares for more than one year. Your ability to deduct capital losses is subject to limitations.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
We believe that we were not a “passive foreign investment company”, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our 2005 taxable year. However, since PFIC status depends upon the composition of our income and assets and the market value of our assets (including, among others, goodwill) from time to time, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC for any taxable year. If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which you held ADSs or shares, certain adverse tax consequences could apply to you.
If we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which you held ADSs or shares, gain recognized by you on a sale or other disposition of ADSs or shares would be allocated ratably over your holding period for the ADSs or shares. The amounts allocated to the taxable year of the sale or other exchange and to any year before we became a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income. The amount allocated to each other taxable year would be subject to tax at the highest rate in effect for individuals or corporations, as appropriate, and an interest charge would be imposed on the amount allocated to such taxable year. Further, any distribution in respect of ADSs or shares in excess of 125% of the average of the annual distributions on ADSs or shares received by you during the preceding three years or your holding period, whichever is shorter, would be subject to taxation as described above. Certain elections may be available (including a mark-to-market election) to U.S. Holders that may mitigate the adverse tax consequences described above.
In addition, if we were to be treated as a PFIC in a taxable year in which we pay a dividend or the prior taxable year, the 15% dividend rate discussed above with respect to dividends paid to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders of ADSs would not apply.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Payments of dividends and sales proceeds that are made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries generally are subject to information reporting and to backup withholding unless (i) you are a corporation or other exempt recipient or (ii) in the case of backup withholding, you provide a correct taxpayer identification number and certify that you are not subject to backup withholding.
The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to you will be allowed as a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle you to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
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10.F. Dividends and Paying Agents
Not applicable.
10.G. Statement by Experts
Not applicable.
10.H. Documents on Display
It is possible to read and copy documents referred to in this annual report that have been filed with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference rooms in Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago, Illinois. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the reference rooms.
10.I. Subsidiary Information
Not applicable.
ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market Risks
Market risk is the risk of loss related to adverse changes in market prices, including interest rates and foreign exchange rates, of financial instruments. We are exposed to various types of market risks, including changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, in the ordinary course of business.
We use financial instruments, including variable rate debt and swap and foreign currency forward contracts, to finance our operations and to manage risks associated with our interest rate and foreign currency exposures, through a controlled program of risk management in accordance with established policies. We have used, and intend to continue to use, derivative financial instruments only for hedging purposes. These policies are reviewed and approved by our board of directors. Our treasury operations are subject to the review of our internal audit department, which review is submitted for our supervisors’ review on a quarterly basis.
As of December 31, 2005, we had U.S. dollar- and Japanese yen-denominated savings and checking accounts of US$107.5 million and ¥6,496.3 million, respectively. We also had certificates of deposit denominated in U.S. dollars and Japanese yen in the amount of US$204.8 million and ¥12,468.6 million, respectively. Since export sales are primarily conducted in U.S. dollars, we had U.S. dollar-denominated accounts receivable of US$1,278.0 million as of December 31, 2005, which represents 97.3% of the total accounts receivable balance at that date. We also had Japanese yen-denominated accounts receivable of ¥331.3 million attributable to our Japanese operations as of December 31, 2005, which represents 0.2% of the total accounts receivable balance at that date. In addition, we had U.S. dollar- and Japanese yen-denominated accounts payable of US$467.0 million and ¥55,237.9 million, respectively, relating to our overseas vendors.
Our primary market risk exposures relate to interest rate movements on borrowings and exchange rate movements on foreign currency-denominated accounts receivable and capital expenditures relating to equipment used in our manufacturing processes and purchased primarily from Japan. The fair value of forward exchange contracts and interest rate swaps has been determined by obtaining from our bankers the estimated amount that would be received/(paid) to terminate the contracts.
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our long-term debt obligations. We incur debt obligations primarily to support general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and working capital needs. We use interest rate swaps to modify our exposure to interest rate movements and reduce borrowing costs. Interest rate swaps limit the risks of fluctuating interest rates by allowing us to convert a portion of the interest on our borrowings from a variable rate to a fixed rate.
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As of December 31, 2005, we had 40 outstanding interest rate swap agreements with nine major international financial institutions, having a total notional principal amount of NT$25,500 million.
The table below provides information about our derivative financial instruments and other financial instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates, including interest rate swaps, debt obligations and certain assets. For debt obligations, the table sets forth principal cash flows and related weighted average interest rates by expected maturity date. For interest rate swaps, the table presents notional amounts and weighted average interest rates by contractual maturity date. Notional amounts are used to calculate the contractual payments to be exchanged under a contract. Weighted average variable rates are based on implied forward rates in the yield curve at the reporting date. The information is presented in the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. We do not have any capital lease obligations.
| | Expected Maturity Date | | Fair Value at December 31, 2005 | |
| |
| | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | | 2008 | | 2009 | | 2010 | | Thereafter | | Total | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | (in thousands) | | | | | | | |
Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Certificates of Deposit: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Fixed rate (US$) | | 199,800 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 199,800 | | 199,800 | |
Average interest rate | | 4.241 | % | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 4.241 | % | 4.241 | % |
Fixed rate (NT$) | | 1,100,314 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 1,100,314 | | 1,100,314 | |
Average interest rate | | 1.203 | % | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 1.203 | % | 1.203 | % |
Fixed rate (JP¥) | | 12,468,574 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 12,468,574 | | 12,468,574 | |
Average interest rate | | 0.041 | % | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 0.041 | % | 0.041 | % |
Fixed rate (CNY) | | 90,000 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 90,000 | | 90,000 | |
Average interest rate | | 1.62 | % | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 1.62 | % | 1.62 | % |
Liabilities Bonds: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Secured (NT$)(1) | | — | | 1,000,000 | | 2,500,000 | | 5,500,000 | | 3,000,000 | | –– | | 12,000,000 | | 11,951,724 | |
Fixed rate | | — | | 1.43 | % | 1.43 | % | 1.738 | % | 1.995 | % | –– | | 1.713 | % | 1.713 | % |
Secured Long-term | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Loans: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Variable rate (NT$) | | 9,832,723 | | 19,445,139 | | 15,139,293 | | 15,635,374 | | 12,959,333 | | 8,761,167 | | 81,773,029 | | | |
Average interest rate | | 2.111 | % | 2.391 | % | 2.799 | % | 2.976 | % | 3.081 | % | 3.185 | % | 2.786 | % | | |
Interest Rate Swaps(2): | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Variable to fixed (NT$) | | — | | — | | 14,500,000 | | 10,000,000 | | 1,000,000 | | — | | 25,500,000 | | (314,291 | ) |
Pay rate | | — | | — | | 2.231 | % | 1.928 | % | 2.040 | % | — | | 2.105 | % | | |
|
(1) | NT$16,500 million are variable rate and NT$500 million are fixed rate. |
|
(2) | 90-day Taipei Money Market Secondary middle rate settled quarterly (1.504% as of December 31, 2005). |
Foreign Currency Risk
The primary foreign currencies to which we are exposed are the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. We enter into short-term forward exchange contracts to hedge the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on certain underlying assets, liabilities, and firm commitments for the purchase of raw materials and components and capital expenditures denominated in U.S. dollars. The purpose of entering into these hedges is to minimize the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the results of operations. Gains and losses on foreign currency contracts and foreign currency denominated liabilities are recorded in the period of the exchange rate changes, while gain and loss on foreign currency contracts that hedge foreign currency commitments are deferred until the commitments are realized. The contracts have maturity dates that do not exceed three months.
The table below sets forth our outstanding foreign currency forward contracts as of December 31, 2005:
| | (in thousands) |
| |
|
Contracts to sell US$/Buy NT$: | | |
Aggregate contract amount | | US$838,000 |
Average contractual exchange rate | | NT$32.835 per US$ |
Contracts to sell NT$/Buy Japanese yen: | | |
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| | (in thousands) |
| |
|
Aggregate contract amount | | NT$17,595,929 |
Average contractual exchange rate | | JPY3.518 per NT$ |
Contracts to sell US$/Buy Japanese yen: | | |
Aggregate contract amount | | US$8,000 |
Average contractual exchange rate | | JPY119.587 per US |
Fair value of all forward contracts | | NT$163,789 |
ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as of the end of the period covered by this report, or the evaluation date. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded as of the evaluation date that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective for gathering, analyzing and disclosing the information we are required to disclose in this annual report we file under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Our management necessarily applied its judgment in assessing the costs and benefits of such controls and procedures, which by their nature can provide only reasonable assurance regarding management’s control objectives.
There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
Our board of directors has determined that Vivien Huey-Juan Hsieh is an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined in Item 16A(b) of Form 20-F.
ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS
Our employee handbook, which applies to all officers and employees, contains provisions covering conflicts of interest, corporate opportunities, confidentiality, fair dealing, protection and proper use of company assets and encouraging the reporting of any illegal or unethical behavior. Although, we have not adopted a written code of ethics specifically for our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, the provisions in our employee handbook cover these individuals and there have not been any waivers of the provisions of the employee handbook for any officers or employees. Ethical oversight and actual or apparent conflicts of interest have historically been handled informally by senior management, the board of directors and supervisors. We will continue to address violations of the code of business conduct and ethics contained in our employee handbook and will continue to consider a separate code of
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ethics with the board of directors should the need arise. We will provide a copy of our employee handbook without charge upon written request to:
AU Optronics Corp.
Finance Department
1 Li-Hsin Road 2
Hsinchu Science Park
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Republic of China
ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Duration of the Mandate and Terms of Office of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
KPMG, our independent registered public accounting firm, began serving as our auditor upon the formation of our company. The head auditors currently responsible for our audit are Mei-Yu Tseng and Chung-Hwa Wei. Ms. Tseng has been serving in her role since the second quarter of 2004, when she took over for Shing Hai Wei who had until then served as our head auditor since our incorporation. Mr. Wei has been serving in his role since the third quarter of 2005, when he took over for Kuen-Huei Chen who retired in October 2005 and had until then served as our head auditor.
Policy on Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Our audit committee is responsible for the oversight of KPMG’s work. The policy of our audit committee is to pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided by KPMG, including audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services, as described below. The audit committee sets forth its pre-approval in detail, listing the particular services or categories of services which are pre-approved, and setting forth a specific budget for such services. In urgent circumstances, the audit committee’s chairman may issue such a pre-approval. Additional services may be pre-approved on an individual basis. KPMG and our management then report to the audit committee on a quarterly basis regarding the extent of services actually provided in accordance with the applicable pre-approval, and regarding the fees for the services performed.
Auditor Fees
The following are fees for professional services to KPMG for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005.
| | Year ended December 31, |
| |
|
Services | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
|
| | NT$ | | NT$ |
| | (in thousands) |
Audit Fees(1) | | 10,800 | | 26,611 |
Tax Fees(2) | | | | 400 |
| |
| |
|
Total | | 10,800 | | 27,011 |
| |
| |
|
|
(1) | Audit Fees. This category includes the audit of our financial statements, review of quarterly financial statements and services that are normally provided by the independent auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years. This category also includes advice on audit and accounting matters that arose during, or as a result of, the audit or the review of quarterly financial statements and statutory audits required by non-U.S. jurisdictions, including statutory audits required by the Tax Bureau of the ROC, Customs Bureau of the ROC and Financial Supervisory Commission of the ROC. This category also includes comfort letters, consents and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC. |
|
(2) | Tax Fees. This category consists of professional services rendered by KPMG for tax compliance. |
|
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ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
Neither we nor any “affiliated purchaser,” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) of the Exchange Act, purchased any of our equity securities during the period covered by this annual report.
PART III
ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Company has elected to provide financial statements for fiscal year 2005 and the related information pursuant to Item 18.
ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the report thereon by its independent auditors listed below are attached hereto as follows:
(a) Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated March 13, 2006 (except for the third paragraph in note 20 in the consolidated financial statements which is as of April 7, 2006).
(b) Consolidated Balance Sheets of the Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2004 and 2005.
(c) Consolidated Statements of Income of the Company and subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
(d) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity of the Company and subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
(e) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows of the Company and subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
(f) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and subsidiaries.
ITEM 19. EXHIBITS
1.1 | Articles of Incorporation (in Chinese, with English translation) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F/A filed with the Commission on July 8, 2005). |
|
2.1 | Deposit Agreement, dated May 29, 2002, among AU Optronics Corp., Citibank, N.A. as depositary, and Holders and Beneficial Owners of American depositary shares evidenced by American depositary receipts issued thereunder, including the form of American depositary receipt (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
2.2 | Form of Amendment No. 1 to the Deposit Agreement, among AU Optronics Corp., Citibank, N.A. as depositary, and Holders and Beneficial Owners of American depositary shares evidenced by American depositary receipts issued thereunder, including the amended form of American depositary receipt (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(ii) to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-6 (Registration No. 333-118892) as filed with the Commission on January 31, 2006). |
|
4.1 | Technology Assistance and Patent License Agreement by and between Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. And Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation, for ASTLCD, dated October 30, 1998 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333- |
|
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| 87418) as filed with the Commission on May 1, 2002). |
|
4.2 | Patent and Technology License Agreement by and between FDTC and AU Optronics Corp., for TFT-LCD technologies, dated March 31, 2003 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(g) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.3 | Stock Purchase Agreement by and among FDTC, Fujitsu and AU Optronics Corp., for purchase certain amount of stocks of FDTC, dated March 25, 2003 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(i) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.4 | Patent License Agreement by and between SEL and AU Optronics Corp., for amorphous silicon TFT technologies, effective on September 1, 2003. (Confidential treatment requested for certain portions of the agreement). |
|
4.5 | Lease Agreement with Hsinchu Science Park Administration in relation to government-owned land located at Hsinchu Science Park, No. 76-6 Small Section, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China, with respect to part of the site of our previous L1 fab (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(j) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.6 | Lease Agreement with Hsinchu Science Park Administration in relation to government-owned land located at Hsinchu Science Park, No. 77 Small Section, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China, with respect to part of the site of L1 fab (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(k) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.7 | Lease Agreement with Hsinchu Science Park Administration in relation to government-owned land located at Hsinchu Science Park, Nos. 255-46 Gin-Shan Section, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China, the site of one of our 3.5-generation fab (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(l) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.8 | Lease Agreement with Hsinchu Science Park Administration in relation to government-owned land located at Hsinchu Science Park, Nos. 114-4 Gin-Shan Section, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, Republic of China, the site of one of our 3.5-generation fab (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(m) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.9 | Lease Agreement with Hsinchu Science Park Administration in relation to government-owned land located at Hsinchu Science Park, Nos. 472 etc, Gin-Shan Section, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China, the site of one of our 3.5-generation fab (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(n) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
|
4.10 | Lease Agreement by and between Acer Display Technology, Inc. and Min-Tour Inc. for No. 1 Xinhe Road Aspire Park, 325 Lungtan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China, the site of our fourth-generation fab and module-assembly plant (in Chinese, with English summary translation) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-87418) as filed with Commission on May 1, 2002). |
|
4.11 | Lease Agreement by and between AU Optronics Corp. and UMC for No. 1, Gin-Shan Section 7 of Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China, the site of one of our fourth-generation fab module- assembly plant (in Chinese, with English summary translation) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-87418) as filed with the Commission on May 1, 2002). |
|
4.12 | Lease Agreement by and between AU Optronics (Suzhou) Corp. and Chinese-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. for No. 398, Suhong Zhong Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, The People’s Republic of China, the site of two of our module-assembly plants (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(q) to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F as filed with the Commission on June 30, 2003). |
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8.1 | List of Subsidiaries. |
|
12.1 | Certification of Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AU Optronics Corp., pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (included on the signature page hereto). |
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12.2 | Certification of Max Cheng, Chief Financial Officer of AU Optronics Corp., pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (included on the signature page hereto). |
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13.1 | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
AU OPTRONICS CORP. |
| | |
By: | /s/ KUEN-YAO (K.Y.) LEE |
|
|
| Name: | Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
Date: June 1, 2006
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Certification
I, Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee, the Chief Executive Officer of AU Optronics Corp., or the registrant, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of AU Optronics Corp.; |
|
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
|
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
|
4. | The company’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
|
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
|
| (b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
|
| (c) | Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
|
5. | The company’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
|
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
|
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
|
Date: June 1, 2006
By: | /s/ KUEN-YAO (K.Y.) LEE |
|
|
| Name: | Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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Certification
I, Max Cheng, the Chief Financial Officer of AU Optronics Corp., or the registrant, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of AU Optronics Corp.; |
|
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
|
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
|
4. | The company’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
|
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
|
| (b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
|
| (c) | Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
|
5. | The company’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
|
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
|
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
|
Date: June 1, 2006
By: | /s/MAX CHENG |
|
|
| Name: | Max Cheng |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
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AU OPTRONICS CORP.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Financial Statements
December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(With Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm)
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
AU Optronics Corp.:We have audited the consolidated balance sheets of AU Optronics Corp. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2005. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of AU Optronics Corp. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2005, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China.
The consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2005, have been translated into United States dollars solely for the convenience of the readers. We have audited the translation and, in our opinion, the consolidated financial statements expressed in New Taiwan dollars have been translated into United States dollars on the basis set forth in note 2(v) to the consolidated financial statements.
Accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China vary in certain significant respects from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Information relating to the nature and effect of such differences is presented in note 22 to the consolidated financial statements.
/s/ KPMG Certified Public Accountants
Hsinchu, Taiwan (the Republic of China)
March 13, 2006, except for the third paragraph in note 20 which is as of April 7, 2006.
F-2
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars)
| | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
Assets | | | | | | | |
Current assets: | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents (note 3) | | 17,797,663 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | |
Short-term investments, net (notes 4 and 16) | | 1,586,504 | | 1,586,504 | | 48,369 | |
Notes and accounts receivable, net (note 5) | | 15,297,617 | | 34,848,588 | | 1,062,457 | |
Receivables from related parties (note 17) | | 5,420,358 | | 7,766,800 | | 236,793 | |
Other current financial assets (note 16) | | 603,270 | | 1,114,300 | | 33,973 | |
Inventories, net (note 6) | | 15,884,989 | | 19,167,488 | | 584,375 | |
Prepayments and other current assets (note 19) | | 693,999 | | 1,384,076 | | 42,197 | |
Deferred tax assets (note 14) | | 2,462,903 | | 3,709,886 | | 113,106 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total current assets | | 59,747,303 | | 95,840,907 | | 2,921,979 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Long-term investments(notes 7 and 16): | | | | | | | |
Equity method | | 5,577,403 | | 5,244,334 | | 159,888 | |
Cost method | | 373,285 | | 73,538 | | 2,242 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total long-term investments | | 5,950,688 | | 5,317,872 | | 162,130 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Property, plant and equipment(notes 8, 17 and 18): | | | | | | | |
Land | | 159,996 | | 3,590,536 | | 109,467 | |
Buildings | | 16,648,783 | | 38,056,666 | | 1,160,264 | |
Machinery and equipment | | 145,842,129 | | 244,584,417 | | 7,456,842 | |
Other equipment | | 8,237,077 | | 10,563,592 | | 322,061 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | 170,887,985 | | 296,795,211 | | 9,048,634 | |
Less: accumulated depreciation | | (62,243,912 | ) | (92,929,473 | ) | (2,833,216 | ) |
Construction in progress | | 13,061,619 | | 1,704,372 | | 51,963 | |
Prepayments for purchases of land and equipment | | 38,037,431 | | 15,556,729 | | 474,291 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net property, plant and equipment | | 159,743,123 | | 221,126,839 | | 6,741,672 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Intangible assets: | | | | | | | |
Technology related fees (notes 17 and 19) | | 1,062,747 | | 2,483,329 | | 75,711 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Other assets: | | | | | | | |
Idle assets, net (note 8) | | 1,259,621 | | 1,165,781 | | 35,542 | |
Refundable deposits (note 17) | | 1,128,964 | | 246,373 | | 7,511 | |
Deferred charges and others | | 1,265,318 | | 1,441,982 | | 43,963 | |
Deferred tax assets (note 14) | | 507,461 | | 222,157 | | 6,773 | |
Restricted cash in bank (note 18) | | 29,200 | | 32,200 | | 982 | |
Long-term prepayments for materials (note 19) | | - | | 1,918,888 | | 58,503 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total other assets | | 4,190,564 | | 5,027,381 | | 153,274 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total Assets | | 230,694,425 | | 329,796,328 | | 10,054,766 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-3
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets (continued)
December 31, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars, except for par value)
| | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ |
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | | | |
Short-term borrowings (note 9) | | 6,183,004 | | - | | - |
Accounts payable | | 27,129,790 | | 48,666,310 | | 1,483,729 |
Payables to related parties (note 17) | | 750,582 | | 1,853,161 | | 56,499 |
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | | 5,287,010 | | 9,491,564 | | 289,377 |
Equipment and construction in progress payable | | 7,165,981 | | 20,014,348 | | 610,193 |
Current installments of long-term liabilities (notes 10 and 18) | | 7,084,416 | | 9,832,723 | | 299,778 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total current liabilities | | 53,600,783 | | 89,858,106 | | 2,739,576 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Long-term liabilities: | | | | | | |
Bonds payable, excluding current installments (notes 11, | | | | | | |
16 and 18) | | 6,000,000 | | 12,000,000 | | 365,854 |
Long-term borrowings, excluding current installments | | | | | | |
(notes 10 and 18) | | 40,334,053 | | 71,940,306 | | 2,193,302 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total long-term liabilities | | 46,334,053 | | 83,940,306 | | 2,559,156 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Other liabilities(note 12) | | 193,994 | | 178,424 | | 5,440 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total liabilities | | 100,128,830 | | 173,976,836 | | 5,304,172 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Stockholders’ equity(note 13): | | | | | �� | |
Capital stock: | | | | | | |
Common stock, NT$10 par value | | 49,580,409 | | 58,305,471 | | 1,777,606 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Capital surplus | | 45,165,093 | | 57,664,144 | | 1,758,053 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Retained earnings: | | | | | | |
Legal reserve | | 2,168,260 | | 4,964,545 | | 151,358 |
Special reserve | | - | | 201,809 | | 6,153 |
Unappropriated retained earnings | | 34,104,623 | | 34,507,005 | | 1,052,043 |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | 36,272,883 | | 39,673,359 | | 1,209,554 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Cumulative translation adjustment | | (201,809 | ) | 59,213 | | 1,805 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Treasury stock | | (250,981 | ) | - | | - |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | 130,565,595 | | 155,702,187 | | 4,747,018 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Minority interest | | - | | 117,305 | | 3,576 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Total stockholders’ equity | | 130,565,595 | | 155,819,492 | | 4,750,594 |
| |
| |
| |
|
Commitments and contingent liabilities(note 19) | | | | | | |
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | 230,694,425 | | 329,796,328 | | 10,054,766 |
| |
| |
| |
|
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-4
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars, except for per share data)
| | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Net sales(note 17) | | 104,860,642 | | 168,111,569 | | 217,388,388 | | 6,627,695 | |
Cost of goods sold(note 17) | | 81,398,889 | | 128,468,264 | | 187,540,389 | | 5,717,695 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Gross profit | | 23,461,753 | | 39,643,305 | | 29,847,999 | | 910,000 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Operating expenses(notes 17 and 19): | | | | | | | | | |
Selling | | 1,394,998 | | 2,447,102 | | 4,016,672 | | 122,460 | |
General and administrative | | 2,435,619 | | 3,577,327 | | 3,960,354 | | 120,743 | |
Research and development | | 3,386,352 | | 5,011,547 | | 4,882,285 | | 148,850 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | 7,216,969 | | 11,035,976 | | 12,859,311 | | 392,053 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Operating income | | 16,244,784 | | 28,607,329 | | 16,988,688 | | 517,947 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Non-operating income and gains: | | | | | | | | | |
Interest income | | 161,121 | | 174,898 | | 225,062 | | 6,862 | |
Investment gain recognized by equity | | | | | | | | | |
method investment, net (note 7) | | - | | 34,268 | | - | | - | |
Gain on market price recovery of short-term | | | | | | | | | |
investments | | 126,883 | | - | | - | | - | |
Gain on sale of investments, net (note 7) | | - | | 39,778 | | 121,679 | | 3,710 | |
Foreign currency exchange gain, net (note 16) | | 61,785 | | 85,132 | | 645,572 | | 19,682 | |
Other income | | 181,055 | | 166,899 | | 228,886 | | 6,978 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | 530,844 | | 500,975 | | 1,221,199 | | 37,232 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Non-operating expenses and losses: | | | | | | | | | |
Interest expense (notes 9 to 11 and 16) | | 819,240 | | 796,279 | | 1,311,683 | | 39,990 | |
Investment loss recognized by equity method | | | | | | | | | |
investment, net (note 7) | | 14,449 | | - | | 588,597 | | 17,945 | |
Other loss | | 368,680 | | 287,827 | | 215,039 | | 6,556 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | 1,202,369 | | 1,084,106 | | 2,115,319 | | 64,491 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Income before income tax | | 15,573,259 | | 28,024,198 | | 16,094,568 | | 490,688 | |
Income tax expense (benefit)(note 14) | | (86,669 | ) | 61,346 | | 473,429 | | 14,434 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net income | | 15,659,928 | | 27,962,852 | | 15,621,139 | | 476,254 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Attributable to: | | | | | | | | | |
Equity holders of the parent company | | 15,659,928 | | 27,962,852 | | 15,626,991 | | 476,433 | |
Minority interest | | - | | - | | (5,852 | ) | (179 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net income | | 15,659,928 | | 27,962,852 | | 15,621,139 | | 476,254 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Earnings per common share(note 15): | | | | | | | | | |
Basic earnings per common share | | 3.65 | | 5.82 | | 2.77 | | 0.08 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Diluted earnings per common share | | 3.61 | | 5.82 | | 2.77 | | 0.08 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Basic earnings per common share – | | | | | | | | | |
retroactively adjusted | | 3.07 | | 5.25 | | | | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
Diluted earnings per common share – | | | | | | | | | |
retroactively adjusted | | 3.04 | | 5.25 | | | | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. | | | | | | | | | |
F-5
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars, US dollars and shares)
| | Capital Stock | | | | Retained Earnings | | | | | | | | | |
| |
| | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | Common shares | | Common stock | | Certificates exchangeable for common stock | | Capital surplus | | Legal reserve | | Special reserve | | Unappropri- ated earnings (accumulated deficit) | | Cumulative translation adjustment | | Treasury stock | | Minority interest | | Total | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2002 | | 4,024,194 | | 40,241,945 | | 1,012 | | 31,718,116 | | - | | - | | 6,022,669 | | 27,151 | | (182,849 | ) | - | | 77,828,044 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 602,267 | | - | | (602,267 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (2,006,917 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (2,006,917 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders’ stock dividends | | 200,692 | | 2,006,917 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (2,006,917 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 43,363 | | 433,632 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (433,632 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration | | - | | - | | - | | - | | �� - | | - | | (54,204 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (54,204 | ) |
Net income for 2003 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,659,928 | | - | | - | | - | | 15,659,928 | |
Purchase of treasury stock | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (68,132 | ) | - | | (68,132 | ) |
Cumulative translation adjustment | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (22,732 | ) | - | | - | | (22,732 | ) |
Convertible bonds converted to common stock | | 83,988 | | 839,878 | | (1,012 | ) | 479,674 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 1,318,540 | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2003 | | 4,352,237 | | 43,522,372 | | - | | 32,197,790 | | 602,267 | | - | | 16,578,660 | | 4,419 | | (250,981 | ) | - | | 92,654,527 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 1,565,993 | | - | | (1,565,993 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (5,208,285 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (5,208,285 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends | | 217,012 | | 2,170,119 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (2,170,119 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 88,792 | | 887,918 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (887,918 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Cash employees’ profit sharing | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (380,535 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (380,535 | ) |
Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (70,470 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (70,470 | ) |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | 300,000 | | 3,000,000 | | - | | 12,967,194 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,967,194 | |
Effect of disproportionate participation in investee’s capital increase | | - | | - | | - | | 109 | | - | | - | | (153,569 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (153,460 | ) |
Net income for 2004 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 27,962,852 | | - | | - | | - | | 27,962,852 | |
Cumulative translation adjustment | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (206,228 | ) | - | | - | | (206,228 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2004 | | 4,958,041 | | 49,580,409 | | - | | 45,165,093 | | 2,168,260 | | - | | 34,104,623 | | (201,809 | ) | (250,981 | ) | - | | 130,565,595 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 2,796,285 | | - | | (2,796,285 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Appropriation for special reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 201,809 | | (201,809 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (5,935,249 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (5,935,249 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends | | 445,144 | | 4,451,437 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (4,451,437 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 97,363 | | 973,625 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (973,625 | ) | - | | - | | - | | - | |
Cash employees’ profit sharing | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (649,084 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (649,084 | ) |
Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (37,447 | ) | - | | - | | - | | (37,447 | ) |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | 330,000 | | 3,300,000 | | - | | 12,294,150 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,594,150 | |
Issuance of treasury stock to employees | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (73,076 | ) | - | | 250,981 | | - | | 177,905 | |
Effect of disproportionate participation in investee’s capital increase | | - | | - | | - | | 204,901 | | - | | - | | (106,597 | ) | - | | - | | - | | 98,304 | |
Net income for 2005 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,626,991 | | - | | - | | - | | 15,626,991 | |
Minority interest in net income of subsidiaries | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (5,852 | ) | (5,852 | ) |
Cumulative translation adjustment | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 261,022 | | - | | - | | 261,022 | |
Adjustments for changes in minority interests | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 123,157 | | 123,157 | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2005 | | 5,830,548 | | 58,305,471 | | - | | 57,664,144 | | 4,964,545 | | 201,809 | | 34,507,005 | | 59,213 | | - | | 117,305 | | 155,819,492 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2005 (in US$) | | 5,830,548 | | 1,777,606 | | - | | 1,758,053 | | 151,358 | | 6,153 | | 1,052,043 | | 1,805 | | - | | 3,576 | | 4,750,594 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-6
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars)
| | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | |
Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Net income | | 15,659,928 | | 27,962,852 | | 15,621,139 | | 476,254 | |
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by | | | | | | | | | |
operating activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation and amortization | | 14,780,225 | | 23,653,128 | | 33,271,070 | | 1,014,362 | |
Amortization of intangible assets and deferred charges | | 1,514,404 | | 1,656,148 | | 1,222,130 | | 37,260 | |
Provision for inventory devaluation | | 324,186 | | 588,428 | | 613,105 | | 18,692 | |
Investment loss (gain) | | (14,224 | ) | (75,230 | ) | 467,731 | | 14,260 | |
Proceeds from cash dividends | | - | | - | | 206,920 | | 6,308 | |
Unrealized foreign currency exchange loss (gain), net | | (70,837 | ) | 4,046 | | (391,789 | ) | (11,945 | ) |
Provision for idle assets revaluation and others | | 75,594 | | 136,574 | | 22,321 | | 681 | |
Loss from disposal of property, plant and equipment | | 63,555 | | 22,539 | | 35,469 | | 1,081 | |
Provision for early redemption of convertible bonds and | | | | | | | | | |
amortization of discount for commercial paper | | 31,799 | | - | | - | | - | |
Increase in notes and accounts receivable (including related | | | | | | | | | |
parties) | | (6,894,206 | ) | (4,541,413 | ) | (22,100,074 | ) | (673,783 | ) |
Increase in inventories | | (1,770,744 | ) | (6,517,288 | ) | (3,895,603 | ) | (118,768 | ) |
Decrease (increase) in prepayments and other current assets | | 662,702 | | (299,920 | ) | (1,570,406 | ) | (47,878 | ) |
Increase in deferred tax assets, net | | (86,669 | ) | (294,415 | ) | (1,048,303 | ) | (31,960 | ) |
Increase in long-term prepayments for materials | | - | | - | | (1,918,888 | ) | (58,503 | ) |
Increase in notes and accounts payable (including related | | | | | | | | | |
parties) | | 11,412,995 | | 5,026,628 | | 23,285,954 | | 709,938 | |
Increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities | | 1,308,965 | | 2,012,180 | | 4,204,553 | | 128,187 | |
Increase (decrease) in accrued pension liabilities and others | | 43,799 | | 59,323 | | (19,299 | ) | (588 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | 37,041,472 | | 49,393,580 | | 48,006,030 | | 1,463,598 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from disposal of short-term investments | | 974,003 | | 708,756 | | - | | - | |
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment | | (39,300,566 | ) | (81,868,673 | ) | (80,652,331 | ) | (2,458,913 | ) |
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment | | 10,954 | | - | | 20,530 | | 626 | |
Purchase of long-term investments | | (817,013) | | (5,385,466) | | (266,072 | ) | (8,112 | ) |
Proceeds from disposal of long-term investments | | - | | 230,736 | | 319,612 | | 9,744 | |
Proceeds from long-term investments returned | | - | | - | | 21,284 | | 649 | |
Increase in intangible assets and deferred charges | | (1,092,946 | ) | (721,488 | ) | (2,778,815 | ) | (84,720 | ) |
Decrease (increase) in refundable deposits | | (136,798 | ) | 25,961 | | 882,591 | | 26,908 | |
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash in bank | | 23,000 | | - | | (3,000 | ) | (91 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash used in investing activities | | (40,339,366 | ) | (87,010,174 | ) | (82,456,201 | ) | (2,513,909 | ) |
Cash flows from financing activities: | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings | | (469,649 | ) | 5,882,209 | | (6,183,004 | ) | (188,506 | ) |
Increase (decrease) in guarantee deposits | | (21,980 | ) | 1,455 | | 3,729 | | 114 | |
Repayment of long-term borrowings and bonds payable | | (10,792,110 | ) | (6,892,110 | ) | (7,472,752 | ) | (227,828 | ) |
Proceeds from long-term borrowings and bonds payable | | 8,740,405 | | 28,315,772 | | 47,468,013 | | 1,447,196 | |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | - | | 15,967,194 | | 15,594,150 | | 475,431 | |
Cash dividends | | (2,006,917 | ) | (5,208,285 | ) | (5,935,249 | ) | (180,953 | ) |
Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration and employees’ profit | | | | | | | | | |
sharing | | (54,204 | ) | (451,005 | ) | (686,531 | ) | (20,931 | ) |
Purchase of treasury stock | | (68,132 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Proceeds from issuance of treasury stock | | - | | - | | 177,905 | | 5,424 | |
Proceeds from issuance of subsidiary shares to minority | | | | | | | | | |
interests | | - | | - | | 131,087 | | 3,997 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | (4,672,587 | ) | 37,615,230 | | 43,097,348 | | 1,313,944 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Effect of exchange rate change on cash | | (24,631 | ) | (163,055 | ) | (181,575 | ) | (5,536 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | | (7,995,112 | ) | (164,419 | ) | 8,465,602 | | 258,097 | |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year | | 25,957,194 | | 17,962,082 | | 17,797,663 | | 542,612 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | | 17,962,082 | | 17,797,663 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: | | | | | | | | | |
Cash paid for interest expense | | 823,773 | | 771,423 | | 1,190,438 | | 36,294 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash paid (received) for income taxes | | (15,581 | ) | 14,189 | | 607,511 | | 18,522 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Additions to property, plant and equipment: | | | | | | | | | |
Increase in property, plant and equipment | | 44,414,072 | | 83,047,775 | | 93,854,019 | | 2,861,403 | |
Increase in equipment and construction in process payable | | (5,113,506 | ) | (1,179,102 | ) | (13,201,688 | ) | (402,490 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash paid | | 39,300,566 | | 81,868,673 | | 80,652,331 | | 2,458,913 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Supplementary disclosure of non-cash investing and financing | | | | | | | | | |
activities | | | | | | | | | |
Convertible bonds converted to common stock | | 1,318,540 | | - | | - | | - | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-7
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
As of and for the years ended
December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(1) | Organization |
| |
| AU Optronics Corp. (“AUO”) was founded in the Hsinchu Science Park of the Republic of China on August 12, 1996. AUO’s main activities are the research, development, production and sale of thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (“TFT-LCDs”), and other flat panel displays used in a wide variety of applications, including notebook, personal computers, desktop monitors, televisions, personal digital assistants, car televisions, digital cameras and camcorders, car navigation systems and mobile phones. AUO’s common shares were publicly listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in September 2000 and its American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) were listed on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2002. |
| |
| On May 10, 2001, the Company’s stockholders approved a proposal to merge with Unipac Optoelectronics Corp. (“Unipac”). Unipac was subsequently dissolved. Unipac was principally engaged in the research, development, design, manufacture and sale of TFT-LCD and LCD modules used in a wide variety of applications, including notebook, personal computers, desktop monitor, digital cameras and camcorders, car televisions, car navigation systems, personal digital assistants and internet appliances. On September 1, 2001, Unipac was merged with and into the Company in a transaction accounted for in accordance with the pooling-of-interests method of accounting. |
| |
| AU Optronics (L) Corp. (“AUL”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AUO and was incorporated in September 2000. AUL is a holding company investing in the wholly owned foreign subsidiaries including AU Optronics Corporation America (“AUA”), AU Optronics (Suzhou) Corp. (“AUS”), AU Optronics Europe B.V. (“AUE”), AU Optronics Korea Ltd. (“AUK”), AU Optronics Corporation Japan (“AUJ”), AU Optronics (Shanghai) Corp. (“AUSH”) and a 50%-owned subsidiary, namely Darwin Precisions (L) Corp. (“DPL”). AUS is engaged in the assembly of TFT-LCD module products in Mainland China. AUA, AUJ, AUE and AUK are mainly engaged in the sale of TFT-LCDs. AUSH is engaged in the sale of TFT-LCD module products in Mainland China. DPL is a holding company investing in the wholly owned foreign subsidiary, Darwin Precisions (Suzhou) Corp. (“DPS”). DPS is engaged in the manufacture and assembly of backlight modules in Mainland China. |
| |
| Konly Venture Corp. (“Konly”), a wholly owned subsidiary of AUO, was incorporated in August 2002. Konly is an investment holding company for investments in other technology companies including Raydium Semiconductor Corporation (“Raydium”), a 73.75% -owned subsidiary. Raydium was incorporated in October 2003 and is engaged in the development, design and sale of integrated circuits. |
| |
| As of December 31, 2005, AUO and its consolidated subsidiaries have 24,327 employees. |
F-8
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2) | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
| |
| (a) | Accounting principles and consolidation policy |
| | |
| | The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AUO and the aforementioned subsidiaries, hereinafter, referred to individually or collectively as the “Company”. The Company includes in its consolidated financial statements the results of operations of all entities in which it has control over the financial and operating policies, irrespective of whether or not it has a majority shareholding in such entities. |
| | |
| | The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Guideline Governing the Preparation of Financial Report by Securities Issuers and accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China (“ROC GAAP”). These consolidated financial statements are not intended to present the financial position and the related results of operations and cash flows of the Company based on accounting principles and practices generally accepted in countries and jurisdictions other than the Republic of China. |
| | |
| | All significant inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. |
| | |
| (b) | Revenue recognition |
| | |
| | Revenue is recognized when title to the products and risk of ownership are transferred to the customers, which occurs principally at the time of shipment. |
| | |
| | Allowance and related provisions for sales returns and discounts are estimated based on historical experience. Such provisions are deducted from sales in the year the products are sold. |
| | |
| (c) | Use of estimates |
| | |
| | The preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Economic conditions and events could cause actual results to differ significantly from such estimates. |
| | |
F-9 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (d) | Foreign currency transactions and translation |
| | |
| | AUO’s functional currency is the New Taiwan dollar. The Company and its subsidiaries record transactions in their respective local currencies. The translation from the applicable foreign currency assets and liabilities to the New Taiwan dollar is performed using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date except for stockholders’ equity, which is translated at historical exchange rates. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using average exchange rates during the year. Gains and losses resulting from such translations are recorded as a cumulative translation adjustment, a separate component of stockholders’ equity. |
| | |
| | Foreign currency transactions are recorded at the exchange rates prevailing at the transaction dates. At the balance sheet date, monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated using the exchange rates prevailing on that date. The resulting exchange gains or losses from settlement of such transactions or translations of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. |
| | |
| (e) | Cash equivalents and restricted cash in bank |
| | |
| | The Company considers all highly liquid investments, such as investments in government bonds with repurchase agreements with original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Time deposits, which are provided as collateral, are classified as current assets or non-current assets depending on the term of the obligation secured by such collateral. |
| | |
| (f) | Short-term investments |
| | |
| | Short-term investments, which consist primarily of marketable securities such as publicly listed stock and open-end mutual funds, are recorded at cost when acquired and are stated at the lower of aggregate cost or fair value at the balance sheet date. The fair value of listed stocks is determined by the average closing prices during the last month prior to the balance sheet date. The fair value for open-end mutual funds is determined by their net asset value at the balance sheet date. The amount by which the aggregate cost of the entire portfolio exceeds fair value is reported as a loss in the current year. In subsequent periods, recoveries of fair value are recognized as a gain to the extent that the fair value does not exceed the original aggregate cost of the investment. Valuation losses are recorded as non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. Losses due to permanent impairment are charged to the statement of operations at the time the impairment occurs. Stock dividends are not treated as income, but as an increase in the number of shares held. |
| | |
| (g) | Allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns and discounts |
| | |
| | The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on the age, credit quality and results of the Company’s evaluation of collectibility of the outstanding balance of notes and accounts receivable. An allowance for sales returns and discounts is based upon management’s estimation of sales returns based upon actual experience and management’s granting of sales discounts to certain customers subsequent to the initial sale of product. |
| | |
F-10 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (h) | Inventories |
| | |
| | Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or fair value. Cost is determined using the weighted-average method. The fair value of raw material is determined on the basis of replacement cost. Fair values of finished goods and work-in-process are determined on the basis of net realizable value. A provision for inventory obsolescence and devaluation is recorded when management determines that the fair values of inventories are less than the cost basis or when management determines that inventories cannot be liquidated without price concessions. The provision is calculated based, in part, on the number of months inventory items remain unsold. |
| | |
| (i) | Long-term investments |
| | |
| | Long-term equity investments in which the Company is not able to exercise significant influence over the investee’s operating and financial policies, generally those in which it owns less than 20% of the investee’s voting shares, are accounted for by the cost method if the investee is an unlisted company, otherwise, by the lower of cost or market value if the investee is a listed company. If there is evidence indicating that a decline in the value of an investment is other than temporary, then the carrying amount of the investment is reduced to reflect its net realizable value. The related loss is recognized in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. |
| | |
| | When the Company has significant influence over the operating, financial and dividend policies of investees or has the intention to hold the investment for a long term period, generally those in which it owns between 20 and 50 percent of the investee’s voting shares, those investments are accounted for using the equity method. The equity method is applied prospectively from the date significant influence is obtained. The difference between the acquisition cost and the carrying amount of net equity of the investee as of the acquisition date is allocated based upon the excess of fair value over the carrying value of assets on the investee’s books. Allocated amounts are amortized based on the method used for the related asset. Any unallocated amount shall be amortized over five years using the straight-line method. The amortization is recorded as investment income (loss) in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. |
| | |
| | If an investee company issues new shares and the Company does not acquire new shares in a proportion to its original ownership percentage, the Company’s equity in the investee’s net assets will be changed. The change in the equity interest shall be used to adjust the capital surplus and long-term investments accounts. If the Company’s capital surplus is not sufficient to offset the adjustment to long-term investment, then the difference shall be charged as a reduction to retained earnings. |
| | |
| | Prior to January 1, 2005, if equity-method investees are unable to forward their audited financial statements in a timely manner, the Company recognizes the income (loss) of the investees in the following year. Commencing January 1, 2005, the Company recognizes the income (loss) of the investees on a current year basis. As a result of this change, the Company recognized investment loss pertaining to fiscal year 2004 of NT$10,405 thousand. See note 2(w). |
| | |
F-11 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Unrealized inter-company profits or losses resulting from transactions between the Company and an investee accounted for under the equity method are deferred to the extent of the Company’s ownership. The profits or losses resulting from depreciated or amortized assets are recognized over the estimated economic lives of such assets. The profits or losses from other assets are recognized when realized. |
| | |
| | The differences resulting from translation of the financial statements of the foreign investees accounted for under the equity method into New Taiwan dollars, net of the related tax effect, are recorded as cumulative translation adjustments in stockholders’ equity. |
| | |
| (j) | Property, plant and equipment |
| | |
| | Property, plant and equipment are stated at acquisition cost. Excluding land, depreciation of property, plant and equipment is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets using the straight-line method less any salvage value. The range of the estimated useful lives is as follows: buildings – 20 to 50 years, machinery and equipment – 3 to 10 years, leasehold improvement – shorter of 5 years or the lease term, and other equipment – 3 to 5 years. Interest costs related to the construction of property, plant and equipment are capitalized and included in the cost of the related asset. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Significant renewals and improvements are treated as capital expenditures and are depreciated accordingly. Property, plant and equipment not in use are classified as idle assets and are stated at the lower of carrying amount or net realizable value. |
| | |
| (k) | Impairment of long-lived assets and long-lived assets to be disposed of |
| | |
| | Long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net discounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. |
| | |
| (l) | Technology related fees |
| | |
| | The costs of patents and licenses for the product and process technology for TFT-LCDs and other flat-panel displays are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives generally for periods ranging from three to 15 years. The amortization of the fixed technology license fees is included in research and development expenses in the consolidated statements of income. |
| | |
F-12 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (m) | Deferred charges |
| | |
| | The cost of software systems, electrical facility installation charges, syndicated loan, bond issuances and land use rights are accounted for as deferred charges. The costs of the software systems are amortized over the estimated useful lives of three years on a straight-line basis, and electrical facility installation charges are amortized over the estimated useful lives of five years on a straight-line basis. The expenses associated with the syndicated loan are amortized over the term of the debt on a straight-line basis. Costs associated with issuing bonds payable and convertible bonds are amortized by using the straight-line method over the period from the issuance date to the maturity date (five years). When the bondholder’s exercise the conversion option or the Company early extinguishes its bonds, the unamortized issuance expenses will be written-off. The cost of land use rights are amortized using the straight-line method over the lease term of 20 years. |
| | |
| (n) | Convertible bonds |
| | |
| | The Company issued convertible bonds, which provide for early redemption at the option of the Company or bondholders at a premium over par value. The excess of the stated redemption price over the par value is accrued as provision for early redemption during the redemption period, using the effective interest method. When the redemption right expires, the balance of the provision for early redemption is amortized over the period from the expiration date to the maturity date using the effective interest method. |
| | |
| | If the bondholders exercise their conversion right, the unamortized issuing costs, forfeited unpaid interest, provision for early redemption and par value of the extinguished bonds are transferred to stockholders’ equity. The excess of such amounts over the par value of the stock upon conversion of the convertible bond is recorded as capital surplus in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and no gain or loss is recognized on bond conversion. |
| | |
| (o) | Employee retirement plan |
| | |
| | Pursuant to government regulations, the Company has established an employee noncontributory, defined benefit retirement plan (the Plan) for subsidiaries located in the Republic of China covering full-time employees in the Republic of China. In accordance with the Plan, employees are eligible for retirement or are required to retire after meeting certain age or service requirements. Payments of retirement benefits are based on years of service and the average salary for the six-month period before the employees’ retirement. Each employee earns two months of salary for the first fifteen years of service, and one month of salary for each year of service thereafter. The maximum retirement benefit is 45 months of salary. The plan is funded by contributions made by the Company, plus earnings thereon. On a monthly basis, the Company contributes two percent of wages and salaries to a pension fund maintained with the Central Trust of China. Retirement benefits are paid to eligible participants on a lump-sum basis upon retirement. |
| | |
F-13 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Beginning July 1, 2005, pursuant to the effective ROC Labor Pension Act (hereinafter referred to as the “new system”), employees who elected to participate in the new system or joined the Company after July 1, 2005, are subjected to a defined contribution plan under the new system. For these employees, the Company is required to make a monthly contribution at a rate no less than 6% of the employee’s monthly salaries or wages to the employee’s individual pension fund accounts at the ROC Bureau of Labor Insurance. As the Company has not revised its retirement plan in accordance with the new system, anything not covered by the current retirement plan is handled pursuant to the ROC Labor Pension Act. |
| | |
| | For the defined benefit plan under the ROC Labor Standards Law (the “old system”), the Company has adopted Republic of China Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 18, “Accounting for Pensions”, for the plan. SFAS No. 18 requires the Company to perform an actuarial calculation on its pension obligation as of each fiscal year-end. Based on the actuarial calculation, the Company recognizes a minimum pension liability and net periodic pension costs covering the service lives of the Plan participants. |
| | |
| | For the defined contribution plan, the Company appropriates 6% of the employees’ monthly salaries or wages to their pension fund accounts and recognizes these amounts as current pension costs. |
| | |
| (p) | Treasury stock |
| | |
| | The Company has adopted Republic of China SFAS No. 30, “Accounting for Treasury Stock” for treasury stock repurchased by the Company. SFAS No. 30 requires that treasury stock be accounted for under the cost method. The cost of treasury stock is shown as a deduction to stockholders’ equity, while any gain or loss from selling treasury stock is treated as an adjustment to capital surplus or retained earnings. |
| | |
| (q) | Government grants |
| | |
| | Income from government grants for research and development is recognized as non-operating income in the accompanying consolidated statements of income as qualifying expenditures are made and the grant income is realizable. |
| | |
| (r) | Income tax |
| | |
| | Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are determined based on differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect during the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The income tax effects resulting from taxable temporary differences are recognized as deferred income tax liabilities. The income tax effects resulting from deductible temporary differences, net operating loss carryforwards and income tax credits are recognized as deferred income tax assets. The realization of the deferred income tax assets is evaluated, and if it is considered more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recognized accordingly. |
| | |
F-14 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Classification of the deferred income tax assets or liabilities as current or non-current is based on the classification of the related asset or liability. If the deferred income tax asset or liability is not directly related to a specific asset or liability, then the classification is based on the expected realization date of such deferred income tax asset or liability. |
| | |
| | According to the Republic of China Income Tax Law, AUO’s undistributed income, if any, earned after December 31, 1997, is subject to an additional 10 percent retained earning tax. The surtax is charged to income tax expense after the appropriation of earnings is approved by the stockholders in the following year. |
| | |
| (s) | Investment tax credits |
| | |
| | Income tax expense is reduced by investment tax credits in the year in which the credit arises, subject to any valuation allowance thereon. |
| | |
| (t) | Derivative financial instruments |
| | |
| | (i) | Forward foreign currency exchange contracts |
| | | |
| | | Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are entered to hedge currency fluctuations affecting foreign currency transactions. These forward exchange contract receivables and payables are recorded at the spot rate at the date of inception. The discount or premium is amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the contract. Realized and unrealized gains or losses on these contracts resulting from actual settlement or balance sheet date translation are charged or credited to current operations. |
| | | |
| | (ii) | Interest rate swaps |
| | | |
| | | The Company enters into interest rate swap contracts to hedge changes in cash flows associated with existing variable rate of long-term debt. Under these interest rate swap contracts, the Company makes specified payments based on fixed interest rate and notional principal amounts and receives amounts based on variable rate of interest and notional principal. The net amounts received or paid under the contracts are reported as adjustments to interest expense on long-term debt. |
| | | |
| (u) | Earnings per common share |
| | |
| | Earnings per share of common stock (“EPS”) is computed based on the weighted-average number of common shares and certificates exchangeable for common stock outstanding during the period. The Company issued convertible bonds in November 2001 and all of which were converted as of December 31, 2003. Therefore, diluted EPS for the year ended December 31, 2003 is disclosed to reflect the diluted effect of the assumed conversion of the convertible bonds as of the beginning of the period. EPS for prior periods has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effects of stock issued from stock dividends and new common stock issued through unappropriated earnings and capital surplus. |
| | |
F-15 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (v) | Convenience translation into U.S. dollars |
| | |
| | The consolidated financial statements are stated in New Taiwan dollars. Translation of the 2005 New Taiwan dollar amounts into U.S. dollar amounts is included solely for the convenience of the readers, using the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York on December 31, 2005, of NT$32.80 to US$1. The convenience translations should not be construed as representations that the New Taiwan dollar amounts have been, could have been, or could in the future be converted into U.S. dollars at this rate or any other rate of exchange. |
| | |
| (w) | Accounting changes |
| | |
| | For the financial year beginning January 1, 2005, ROC SFAS No. 5, “Long-Term Investments in Equity Securities”, as amended, requires the Company to recognize the income (loss) of equity method investee on a current year basis. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company recognized investment loss of NT$11,294 thousand, of which NT$10,405 thousand was attributed to investment loss recognized for year ended December 31, 2004. |
| | |
| | For the financial year beginning January 1, 2005, the Company adopted ROC SFAS No. 35, “Accounting for Asset Impairment” which requires the Company to review long-lived assets for impairment. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company recognized an impairment loss on an equity method investment of NT$4,165 thousand. |
| | |
| | As a result of the above changes, the net income of the Company decreased by NT$14,570 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2005. |
| | |
(3) | Cash and Cash Equivalents |
| | |
| Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Cash and bank deposits | | 14,136,984 | | 17,340,808 | | 528,683 | |
| Government bonds acquired under reverse | | | | | | | |
| repurchase agreements | | 3,660,679 | | 8,922,457 | | 272,026 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | 17,797,663 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | |
| The Company purchases government bonds under agreements to resell substantially the same securities within 30 days of the repurchase agreements. These agreements represent short-term investments and are reflected as cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company may sell, loan or otherwise dispose of such securities to other parties in the normal course of operations provided that substantially the same securities are delivered to the counterparties as agreed. |
| | | | | | | | |
F-16 |
| | | | | (Continued) |
| |
| |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| |
| Reverse repurchase agreements averaged NT$3,602,679 thousand and NT$4,215,225 thousand during the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively. The maximum amount of such agreements outstanding at any month end was NT$7,313,032 thousand and NT$8,922,457 thousand during the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively. The fair values of the securities held under these agreements as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 approximated their carrying amounts. None of the securities held under these agreements were repledged during the years ended December 31, 2004 or 2005. |
| |
(4) | Short-term Investments |
| |
| Short-term investments as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| |
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Publicly listed stocks – at cost | | 1,586,504 | | 1,586,504 | | 48,369 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| Fair value | | 1,638,292 | | 1,697,414 | | 51,750 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
(5) | Notes and Accounts Receivable |
| |
| Notes and accounts receivable as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| | December 31, | | |
| |
| | |
| | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Notes receivable | 4,839 | | 22,460 | | 685 | | |
| Accounts receivable | 15,998,511 | | 35,232,155 | | 1,074,151 | | |
| Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts and sales | | | | | | | |
| returns and discounts | (705,733 | ) | (406,027 | ) | (12,379 | ) | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | 15,297,617 | | 34,848,588 | | 1,062,457 | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
| |
F-17 |
| | | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(6) | Inventories | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Components of inventories as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: | | | | | | | |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | Finished goods | 4,950,732 | | 6,849,281 | | 208,819 | | |
| | Work in process | 8,608,715 | | 10,290,872 | | 313,746 | | |
| | Raw materials and spare parts | 3,356,574 | | 3,371,630 | | 102,794 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 16,916,021 | | 20,511,783 | | 625,359 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Less: provision for inventory obsolescence anddevaluation | (1,031,032 | ) | (1,344,295 | ) | (40,984 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 15,884,989 | | 19,167,488 | | 584,375 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Insurance coverage on inventories | 21,234,750 | | 25,879,100 | | 788,997 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
(7) | Long-term Investments |
| |
| Long-term investments as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | Percentage of ownership | | Amount | | Percentage of ownership | | Amount | | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| Equity method: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| BenQ Corporation (BenQ) | | 5.47 | % | 4,106,397 | | 5.08 | % | 3,436,212 | | 104,762 | |
| Cando Corporation (Cando) | | 21.46 | % | 1,445,805 | | 21.47 | % | 1,381,336 | | 42,114 | |
| Wellypower Optronics | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Corporation Ltd. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (Wellypower) | | - | | - | | 9.32 | % | 359,221 | | 10,952 | |
| Apower Optronics | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Corporation (Apower) | | - | | - | | 7.22 | % | 40,978 | | 1,249 | |
| Sita Technology Corp. (Sita) | | - | | - | | 45.00 | % | 26,587 | | 811 | |
| Patentop Ltd. (Patentop) | | 41.00 | % | 15,459 | | 41.00 | % | - | | - | |
| Raydium Semiconductor | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Corporation (Raydium) | | 32.79 | % | 9,742 | | - | | - | | - | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | 5,577,403 | | | | 5,244,334 | | 159,888 | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
F-18 |
| | | | | | | | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2004 | | | | 2005 | | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | Percentage of ownership | | Amount | | Percentage of ownership | | Amount | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| The lower of cost or market value: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Promate Electronic Co., Ltd. | | 0.51 | % | 10,000 | | 0.50 | % | 10,000 | | 305 | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| Cost method: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wellypower OptronicsCorporation Ltd. | | 1.41 | % | 29,985 | | - | | - | | - | |
| Darly3 Venture Inc. | | 15.57 | % | 59,917 | | 15.57 | % | 38,633 | | 1,178 | |
| Apower OptronicsCorporation | | 13.90 | % | 40,978 | | - | | - | | - | |
| Daxon Technology Inc. | | 0.31 | % | 17,000 | | 0.31 | % | 17,000 | | 518 | |
| StarBex International Inc. | | 7.50 | % | 16,875 | | 7.50 | % | 7,905 | | 241 | |
| Fujitsu Display Technologies | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Corporation (FDTC) | | 10.00 | % | 198,530 | | - | | - | | - | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | 363,285 | | | | 63,538 | | 1,937 | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | 5,950,688 | | | | 5,317,872 | | 162,130 | |
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Investments in affiliated companies accounted for under the equity method on December 31, 2005 consist of 41.00% of the common stock of Patentop, an intellectual property company, 21.47% of the common stock of Cando, a color filter manufacturing company, 5.08% of the common stock of BenQ, a manufacturer and distributor of computer peripheral equipment and communication products, 9.32% of the common stock of Wellypower, a Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) manufacturing company, 45.00% of the common stock of Sita, a manufacturer of small to medium size driver integrated circuits and 7.22% of the common stock of Apower, an investment holding and general trading company. In November 2003, the Company purchased its 12.31% ownership in Cando concurrently with the purchase by an affiliate of 15.66% of Cando. The Company and the Company’s affiliate hold two board of director seats in Cando, and have significant influence over Cando’s day-to-day operations. As such, the Company began account for its investment in Cando under the equity method of accounting effective upon its initial investment in 2003. In February and May 2004, the Company made additional investments in Cando resulting in a 21.46% ownership at December 31, 2004. |
| |
F-19
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
In November 2004, AUO purchased 126,600 thousand shares of BenQ via open market, representing 5.47% of BenQ’s total outstanding shares. The total investment amounted to NT$4,108,923 thousand. The difference between the acquisition cost and the net equity of the investee as of the acquisition date is amortized based on the nature of their source, except for those from permanent assets. If the source cannot be identified, such difference is amortized over five years using the straight-line method. As the Company and BenQ share a common chairman and chief executive officer, a second officer board member, and have other commercial relationships, the Company is deemed to have significant influence over BenQ. As such, the Company accounts for its investment in BenQ under the equity method of accounting.
In January 2005, the Company made additional investments in Wellypower. In the special shareholders meeting held on March 30, 2005, the Company obtained two board of director seats in Wellypower and have significant influence over Wellypower’s operating and financial policies. As such, the Company accounts for its investment in Wellypower under the equity method of accounting effective from January 1, 2005. In addition, the Company is also able to exercise significant influence over Wellypower’s subsidiary, Apower, through a combination of its influence on the operations of Wellypower and its direct investment. As such, the Company accounts for its investment in Apower under the equity method of accounting effective from January 1, 2005.
In January 2005, the Company purchased a 45% ownership in Sita. The Company holds one board of director seat in Sita and has significant influence over Sita’s operating and financial policies. As such, the Company accounts for its investment in Sita under the equity method of accounting effective from the date of initial investment.
In March 2003, the Company purchased its 20% ownership in FDTC. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Company maintained a board of director seat, entered into a technology licensing agreement, and participated in certain joint research and development projects related to TFT-LCD technologies. However, in August 2004, the Company sold half of its investment in FDTC and forfeited its right to appoint a member of the board of directors. The Company is no longer able to exercise significant influence over FDTC. As a result, starting September 2004, the investment in FDTC is accounted for by the cost method. In May 2005, the Company sold the remaining 10% interest in FDTC. The carrying amount of the investment was NT$198,530 thousand and gain on disposal of investment was NT$106,080 thousand.
Prior to January 1, 2005, as Patentop and FDTC were unable to forward their stand-alone audited financial statements in a timely manner, the Company recognized the income (loss) of these investees in the following year. Commencing January 1, 2005, ROC SFAS No. 5, “Long-Term Investments in Equity Securities”, as amended, requires the Company to recognize the income (loss) of investees on a current year basis. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company recognized investment loss of NT$11,294 thousand, of which NT$10,405 thousand was attributed to investment loss recognized for year ended December 31, 2004. Pursuant to ROC SFAS No. 35, “Accounting for Asset Impairment”, the Company evaluated its investment in Patentop and has determined that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Therefore, the Company recognized impairment loss of NT$4,165 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2005.
F-20
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| |
| For the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company evaluated its investment in StarBex and has determined that the impairment is other than temporary. As a result, the Company recognized other than temporary impairment loss of NT$8,970 thousand. |
| |
(8) | Idle Assets, Interest Capitalization and Insurance Coverage on Property, Plant and Equipment |
| |
| Idle assets as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Cost: | | | | | | | | |
| Land | | 478,214 | | 478,214 | | 14,580 | | |
| Buildings | | 544,421 | | 544,421 | | 16,598 | | |
| Machinery and other equipment | | 1,081,990 | | 1,158,881 | | 35,332 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 2,104,625 | | 2,181,516 | | 66,510 | | |
| Less: accumulated depreciation | | (633,593 | ) | (795,138 | ) | (24,242 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 1,471,032 | | 1,386,378 | | 42,268 | | |
| Less: allowance for devaluation on idle assets | | (211,411 | ) | (220,597 | ) | (6,726 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 1,259,621 | | 1,165,781 | | 35,542 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| The above idle assets comprise mainly land, buildings, machinery and other equipment from the operations of the Company’s Chu-nan fab. |
| |
| Interest capitalized amounted to NT$216,731 thousand, NT$516,436 thousand and NT$976,404 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. The capitalization interest rates ranged from 2.27% to 5.23%, 1.725% to 5.265%, and 2.03% to 5.20% in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
| |
| Insurance coverage on property, plant and equipment amounted to NT$228,821,240 thousand and NT$308,878,980 thousand as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
| |
| Certain property, plant and equipment were pledged as collateral against long-term borrowings (see note 18). |
F-21
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(9) | Short-term Borrowings |
| |
| Short-term borrowings are bank loans used for the purchase of raw materials and other routine business operations. |
| |
| The interest rates on short-term borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2004 ranged from 1.40% to 2.90%. Unused available balance as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 amounted to NT$8,469,993 thousand and NT$25,141,089 thousand, respectively. |
| |
(10) | Long-term Borrowings |
| |
| The components of long-term borrowings as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, are summarized below: |
| |
| | | | | | December 31, |
| | | | | |
|
Bank/Lead Bank | | Purpose | | Term | | 2004 | | 2005 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ |
| | | | | | (in thousands) |
International | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Dec. 23, 1999 through Dec. 23, | | 996,110 | | - | | - |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2005. Repayable in 9 semi-annual | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | installments starting in Dec. 2001 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
International | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Dec. 21, 2000 through Dec. 21, | | 6,600,000 | | 4,400,000 | | 134,146 |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 10 semi-annual | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | installments starting in June 2003 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Chinatrust | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Sep. 21, 2000 through Sep. 21, | | 8,100,000 | | 5,400,000 | | 164,634 |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 10 semi-annual | | | | | | |
Bank | | | | installments starting in Mar. 2003 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Chinatrust | | Purchase of machinery, | | From April 25, 2003 through April 25, | | 14,691,700 | | 14,783,500 | | 450,717 |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2010. Repayable in 9 semi-annual | | | | | | |
Bank | | | | installments starting in April 2006. | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in NTD and US dollars | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
International | | Purchase of machinery, | | From May 11, 2004 through May 11, | | 9,000,000 | | 29,000,000 | | 884,146 |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2011. Repayable in 9 semi-annual | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | installments starting in May 2007. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Bank of Taiwan | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Dec. 18, 2004 through Dec. 18, | | 3,000,000 | | 18,925,250 | | 576,989 |
| | equipment and building | | 2011. Repayable in 9 semi-annual | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in Dec. 2007. | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in NTD and US dollars | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Bank of Taiwan | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Dec. 29, 2005 through Dec. 29, | | - | | 3,000,000 | | 91,463 |
| | equipment and building | | 2012. Repayable in 9 semi-annual | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in Dec. 2008 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Citi Bank | | Purchase of machinery, | | From April 10, 2003 through Nov. 14, | | 2,797,861 | | 2,170,277 | | 66,167 |
| | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 6 semi-annual | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in May 2005. | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | | | December 31, | |
| | | | | |
| |
Bank/Lead Bank | | Purpose | | Term | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | | (in thousands) | |
Citi Bank | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Oct. 12, 2004 through Nov. 14, | | 925,512 | | 437,929 | | 13,351 | |
| | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 6 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in May 2005. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in US dollars | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Citi Bank | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Aug. 10, 2005 through Dec. 2, | | - | | 919,466 | | 28,033 | |
| | equipment and building | | 2009. Repayable in 6 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in June 2007. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in US dollars and | | | | | | | |
| | | | Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Industrial and | | Purchase of machinery, | | From June 11, 2002 through June 10, | | 219,809 | | 231,916 | | 7,071 | |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 2 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | installments starting in Dec. 2006. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Industrial and | | Purchase of machinery, | | From April 11, 2002 through April 10, | | 231,378 | | 244,122 | | 7,443 | |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable on April 10, 2007. | | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Industrial and | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Aug. 31, 2004 through Aug. 31, | | 154,252 | | 162,748 | | 4,962 | |
Commercial | | equipment and building | | 2009. Repayable on Mar. 1, 2009. | | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Bank of China | | Purchase of machinery, | | From June 10, 2002 through Mar. 19, | | 640,146 | | 405,242 | | 12,355 | |
| | equipment and building | | 2007. Repayable in 5 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in Mar. 2005. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Standard | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Dec. 31, 2004 through Nov. 11, | | 61,701 | | 878,839 | | 26,794 | |
Chartered Bank | | equipment and building | | 2009. Repayable in 6 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in June 2007. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Bank of | | Purchase of machinery, | | From Jan. 24, 2005 through Dec. 30, | | - | | 813,740 | | 24,809 | |
America | | equipment and building | | 2009. Repayable in 6 semi-annual | | | | | | | |
| | | | installments starting in June 2007. | | | | | | | |
| | | | Denominated in Renminbi | | | | | | | |
| | | | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | | | | | 47,418,469 | | 81,773,029 | | 2,493,080 | |
| | Less: current portion | | | | (7,084,416) | | (9,832,723 | ) | (299,778 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | |
| |
| | | | | | 40,334,053 | | 71,940,306 | | 2,193,302 | |
| | | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | Unused available balance | | | | 79,205,450 | | 73,653,956 | | 2,245,547 | |
| | | | | |
| |
| |
| |
F-23
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| |
| The Company entered into syndication loan agreements with several financial institutions to obtain credit facilities, for building construction projects and the purchase of TFT-LCD production line related machinery and equipment. The commitment fee is charged per annum, payable quarterly, based on the committed-to-withdraw but unborrowed balance, if any. No commitment fees were paid for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005. During the loan period, the current ratio, debt-equity ratio, times interest earned, tangible assets ratio and other financial ratios of the Company must comply with certain restrictions as specified in the agreements. The Company has complied with the aforementioned debt covenants in 2004 and 2005. |
| |
| Interest rates on long-term borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 ranged from 1.77% to 5.02% and 2.36% to 5.27%, respectively. The long-term borrowings are at floating interest rates that reprice within one to six months. |
| |
| The long-term borrowings are all secured. Certain property, plant and equipment were pledged as collateral against long-term borrowings (see note 18). |
| |
| As of December 31, 2005, long-term borrowings and bonds payable that will become due during the next five years and thereafter are as follows: |
| | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | |
| 2006 | | 9,832,723 | | 299,778 | |
| 2007 | | 20,445,139 | | 623,328 | |
| 2008 | | 17,639,293 | | 537,783 | |
| 2009 | | 21,135,374 | | 644,371 | |
| 2010 | | 15,959,333 | | 486,565 | |
| Thereafter | | 8,761,167 | | 267,109 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| Total | | 93,773,029 | | 2,858,934 | |
| | |
| |
| |
(11) | Bonds Payable |
| |
| Bonds payable as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 consisted of the following: |
| |
| | | December 31, | |
| | |
| |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Secured bonds payable | | 6,000,000 | | 12,000,000 | | 365,854 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| Interest payable | | 15,472 | | 84,603 | | 2,579 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| Unissued available balance | | - | | 5,000,000 | | 152,439 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | |
F-24 |
| | | | | | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The significant terms of secured bonds payable are as follows:
| | | The first (2004) issuance | | The first (2005) issuance |
| | |
| |
|
| Par value | | NT$6,000,000 thousand | | NT$6,000,000 thousand |
| Issue date | | April 23, 2004 | | June 6, 2005 ~ June 13, 2005 |
| Issue price | | At par value | | At par value |
| Coupon rate | | As stated below | | As stated below |
| Duration | | As stated below | | June 6, 2005 ~ June 13, 2010 |
| Bank that provided | | International Commercial Bank of | | Bank of Taiwan and other eight |
| guarantee | | China and other eleven banks | | banks |
| Redemption | | As stated below | | As stated below |
| The aforementioned secured bonds issued in 2004 can be divided into five types, namely, I, II, III, IV and V, based upon their respective issuance structures. Bond I has a fixed coupon rate of 1.43%, and the remaining are floating-rate based. However, the Company has entered into separate interest rate swap contracts that have the effect of converting the floating rates into fixed rates. Whereas Bond I is of a three-year term, the rest has a term of five years. The Company is obligated to repay the principal amount of each tranche under Bond I in full at maturity; the principal amount of tranche A~F under Bond II, tranche A, B, E, F under Bond III, and tranche A and B under Bond IV will be repaid in 3 installments in a proportion of 10/60, 25/60 and 25/60 at the end of year 3, 4 and 5, respectively, from its respective issuance date; tranche G and H under Bond II, tranche C and D under Bond III, tranche C and D under Bond IV, as well as tranche A~D under bond V will be repaid in 2 equal installments at the end of year 4 and 5 from its respective issuance date. |
| |
| The aforementioned secured bonds issued in 2005 can be divided into two types, namely I and II based upon their respective coupon rates and interest calculation structure. While the Company is obligated to make annual interest payment for both types of bonds, Bond I is calculated based on simple interest and Bond II is calculated semi-annually based on compound interest. Based upon their respective issuance date, the bonds can be divided into six types, namely A, B, C, D, E and F, payable in two equal installments at the end of year 4 and 5 from their respective issuance dates. |
| |
| The aforementioned bonds are secured by bank guarantees through an arrangement of a syndicated bank guarantee facility. Based on financial covenants under the syndicate agreement for the bond guarantee, the Company is obligated to maintain its current ratio, debt ratio, interest coverage ratio, and net tangible net worth at a certain level. The Company has complied with the aforementioned debt covenants in 2004 and 2005. |
| |
| Bonds payable were pledged, please see note 18. |
F-25
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(12) | Retirement Plan |
| |
| The following table sets forth the defined benefit obligation and accrued pension liabilities balance related to AUO’s retirement plan in the Republic of China as of December 31, 2004 and 2005: |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Benefit obligation: | | | | | | | | |
| Vested benefit obligation | | (3,570 | ) | (3,990 | ) | (122 | ) | |
| Non-vested benefit obligation | | (222,368 | ) | (261,636 | ) | (7,977 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Accumulated benefit obligation | | (225,938 | ) | (265,626 | ) | (8,099 | ) | |
| Additions based on future salary increase | | (260,503 | ) | (299,866 | ) | (9,142 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Projected benefit obligation | | (486,441 | ) | (565,492 | ) | (17,241 | ) | |
| Fair value of plan assets | | 299,030 | | 398,478 | | 12,149 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Funded status | | (187,411 | ) | (167,014 | ) | (5,092 | ) | |
| Unrecognized pension loss | | (16,748 | ) | (16,762 | ) | (511 | ) | |
| Unrecognized transitional liability | | 13,845 | | 12,761 | | 389 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Accrued pension liabilities | | (190,314 | ) | (171,015 | ) | (5,214 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
The components of net periodic pension cost of AUO for 2003, 2004 and 2005 are summarized as follows:
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Defined benefit pension plan: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Service cost | | 96,330 | | 127,467 | | 69,596 | | 2,122 | | |
| Interest cost | | 11,203 | | 15,213 | | 17,835 | | 544 | | |
| Expected return on plan assets | | (6,995 | ) | (7,571 | ) | (11,322 | ) | (345 | ) | |
| Amortization | | 1,320 | | 4,303 | | 1,084 | | 33 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net pension cost | | 101,858 | | 139,412 | | 77,193 | | 2,354 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Defined contribution pension cost | | - | | - | | 170,573 | | 5,200 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| AUA, AUS, AUJ, AUE, AUK, Raydium, Konly, AUSH and DPS have set up retirement plans based on local government regulations. AUL and DPL have not set up their retirement plans. Cash contributions to these plans are expensed when service is rendered, and amounted to NT$56,363 thousand, NT$95,927 thousand and NT$140,874 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | | | | | | |
| Significant actuarial assumptions used in the above calculations are summarized as follows: | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | December 31, | | | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Discount rate | | 3.50 | % | 3.50 | % | 3.50 | % | |
| | Rate of increase in future compensation levels | | 5.00 | % | 3.50 | % | 3.50 | % | |
| | Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets | | 3.50 | % | 3.50 | % | 3.50 | % | |
| (a) | Common stock and capital increase |
| | |
| | Based on stockholder resolutions on May 29, 2003, the Company increased its authorized common stock to NT$58,000,000 thousand, par value NT$10 per share and of which reserved NT$1,000,000 thousand for issuance of certificates of employee stock options. In addition, the Company increased its common stock by NT$2,440,549 thousand, par value NT$10 per share, through the transfer of retained earnings and employee bonuses of NT$2,006,917 thousand, and NT$433,632 thousand, respectively. |
| | |
| | Based on stockholder resolutions on April 29, 2004, the Company increased its common stock by NT$3,058,037 thousand, par value NT$10 per share, through the transfer of retained earnings and employee bonuses of NT$2,170,119 thousand and NT$887,918 thousand, respectively. The stock issuances described above were authorized by and registered with the government authorities. Pursuant to stockholder resolutions, the Company issued 300 million shares of its common stock in the form of 30 million ADS on June 23, 2004. Each ADS represents the right to receive 10 shares of common stock. The public offering price per ADS was US$16.00. |
| | |
| | Based on stockholder resolutions on June 14, 2005, the Company increased its common stock by NT$5,425,062 thousand, par value NT$10 per share, through the transfer of retained earnings and employee bonuses of NT$4,451,437 thousand and NT$973,625 thousand, respectively. The stock issuances described above were authorized by and registered with the government authorities. Pursuant to stockholder resolutions, the Company issued 330 million shares of its common stock in the form of 33 million ADS on July 22, 2005. Each ADS represents the right to receive 10 shares of common stock. The public offering price per ADS was US$15.35. |
| | |
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the Company’s authorized common stock, par value NT$10 per share, amounted to NT$58,000,000 thousand and NT$70,000,000 thousand, respectively, and the issued common stock amounted to NT$49,580,409 thousand and NT$58,305,471 thousand, respectively. |
F-27
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (b) | Capital surplus |
| | |
| | Pursuant to the Republic of China Company Law, the capital surplus has to be used to offset a deficit, and then the capital surplus resulting from the issuance of new shares at a premium and from donations received by the Company can be used to increase common stock. Furthermore, pursuant securities regulations, the total sum of capital surplus capitalized per year may not exceed 10 percent of the paid-in capital. Additionally, the capital surplus realized from a capital increase shall be capitalized only from the following fiscal year after the capital increase being registered by the Company with the competent authority. |
| | |
| (c) | Legal reserve |
| | |
| | According to the Republic of China Company Law, the Company must retain 10 percent of its annual income as a legal reserve until such retention equals the amount of issued common stock. The retention is accounted for by transfers to a legal reserve upon approval at the annual stockholders’ meeting. The legal reserve can be used to offset an accumulated deficit and transferred to common stock however cannot be distributed as cash dividends. |
| | |
| (d) | Distribution of earnings and dividend policy |
| | |
| | According to the Company’s articles of incorporation, 10% of the Company’s annual income, after offsetting any accumulated deficit, shall be set aside as a legal reserve. After establishing the legal reserve, earnings may be distributed in the following order in accordance with the Company’s articles of incorporation: |
| | |
| | (i) | 5 to 10 percent as employee bonuses |
| | | |
| | (ii) | At most 1 percent as remuneration to directors and supervisors |
| | | |
| | (iii) | The remainder, after retaining a certain portion for business consideration, as common stockholders’ dividends. |
| | | |
| | The appropriation of the Company’s net income may be distributed by way of cash dividend and/or stock dividend. Since the Company is in a capital-intensive industry, distribution of profits shall be made preferably by way of stock dividend. Distribution of profits may also be made by way of cash dividend, and the amount of that should exceed or equal 10% of total dividends. This cash dividend percentage may be adjusted depending on actual profit of the year and operational conditions. |
| | | |
| | According to Financial Supervisory Commission (“FSC”) regulations, when there is a deduction item in stockholders’ equity during the year, an amount equal to the deduction item before earnings distribution must be appropriated as a special reserve within retained earnings. The special reserve will be available for dividend distribution only after the related stockholders’ equity deduction item has been reversed. |
F-28
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | | | | |
| | Employee bonuses and directors’ remuneration appropriated from the distributable retained earnings of 2004 were as follows: |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | Shares | | NT$ | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | |
| | Employee bonuses – stock (at par value) | | 97,363 | | 973,625 | |
| | Employee bonuses – cash | | | | 649,084 | |
| | Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration | | | | 37,447 | |
| | | | | |
| |
| | | | | | 1,660,156 | |
| | | | | |
| |
| | | | | | | |
| | The shares issued from the above distribution were 1.96 percent of outstanding shares as of December 31, 2004. |
| | | | | | | |
| | If the above distributions were recorded as expenses in 2004, the pro forma information on earnings per share in 2004 would be as follows: |
| | | NT$ | |
| | |
| |
| Basic earnings per common share after retroactive adjustment | | 4.93 | |
| | Earnings distribution of fiscal year 2005 earnings has not been proposed by the board of directors and is still subject to approval at the stockholders’ meeting. |
| | |
| (e) | Treasury stock |
| | |
| | Based on a board of directors resolution on December 16, 2002, the Company decided to purchase its own shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange for use as employee bonus shares in future periods. The Company purchased treasury stock amounting to 12,000 thousand shares at a total cost of NT$250,981 thousand, during the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003. The Company did not purchase treasury shares during the years ended December 31, 2004 or 2005. |
| | |
| | The FSC regulations imposed on treasury stock transactions are as follows: |
| | |
| | 1. | Total shares of treasury stock shall not exceed 10 percent of the Company’s common stock issued. |
| | | |
| | 2. | Total treasury stock purchases shall not exceed the sum of retained earnings and capital surplus derived from premiums on capital stock plus other realized capital surplus. |
| | | |
| | 3. | Treasury stock shall not be pledged, nor does it possess voting rights or receive dividends until it is disposed of or transferred to employees. |
| | | |
F-29
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| |
| Upon approval by the Financial Supervisory Commission of the ROC (FSC) on August 16, 2005, the Company transferred to its employees all of the treasury stock. Taking into consideration of increase in issued common stock, the Company calculated a transfer price at the Company’s original purchase price plus an interest factor determined over the holding period. Total selling price was NT$177,905 thousand. The difference between cost and selling price of NT$73,076 was deducted from retained earnings. |
| |
(14) | Income Taxes |
| |
| (a) | The Company is authorized to be a “Science-based industry” as defined under the ROC Statute for the Establishment and Administration of Science-based Industrial Park and an “Important technology-based industry company” as defined under the Statute for Upgrading Industries. |
| | |
| | Pursuant to these statutes, the Company and the extinguished Unipac have elected appropriate tax incentives, such as tax exemption for qualified TFT-LCD products/processes and investment tax credits for shareholders, based on initial investment and subsequent capital increases. |
| | |
| | The followings are the details of the Company’s effective tax incentive provided by the Ministry of Finance as of December 31, 2005: |
| | |
| Year of investment | | Tax incentive chosen | | Tax exemption period | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| 1999 | | Tax exemption of the Company’s L3A facility corporate | | | |
| | | income taxes for four years | | 2002~2005 | |
| 1996 | | Tax exemption of the Company’s L5 facility corporate | | | |
| | | income taxes for five years | | 2003~2007 | |
| 1999 | | Tax exemption of the Company’s L3B facility corporate | | | |
| | | income taxes for four years | | 2005~2008 | |
| 1999, 2001 | | Tax exemption of the Company’s L6 facility | | | |
| | | corporate income taxes for five years | | 2005~2009 | |
| (b) | The components of income tax expense (benefit) are summarized as follows: |
| | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Current income tax expense | | - | | 355,761 | | 1,521,732 | | 46,394 | | |
| Deferred income tax benefit | | (86,669 | ) | (294,415 | ) | (1,048,303 | ) | (31,960 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | (86,669 | ) | 61,346 | | 473,429 | | 14,434 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
F-30
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | The differences between income tax expense (benefit) based on the Republic of China statutory income tax rate of 25% and the income tax expense (benefit) as reported in the accompanying consolidated statements of income for 2003, 2004 and 2005 are summarized as follows: |
| | |
| | | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Expected income tax expense | | 3,893,315 | | 7,006,049 | | 4,023,642 | | 122,672 | | |
| | Tax exemption | | (1,090,748 | ) | (1,424,088 | ) | (479,973 | ) | (14,633 | ) | |
| | Investment tax credits | | (4,655,687 | ) | (7,144,655 | ) | (4,813,223 | ) | (146,745 | ) | |
| | Tax on undistributed retained earnings | | 200,697 | | 419,039 | | 1,491,149 | | 45,462 | | |
| | Increase in valuation allowance | | 1,593,391 | | 1,031,632 | | 127,211 | | 3,878 | | |
| | Other | | (27,637 | ) | 173,369 | | 124,623 | | 3,800 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Income tax expense (benefit) | | (86,669 | ) | 61,346 | | 473,429 | | 14,434 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | |
| (c) | The components of deferred income tax assets (liabilities) are summarized as follows: |
| | |
| | | | December 31, | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | |
| |
|
|
|
| |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | Current: | | | | | | | | |
| | Investment tax credits | | 1,777,511 | | 2,313,606 | | 70,537 | | |
| | Unrealized loss and expenses | | 297,218 | | 443,809 | | 13,531 | | |
| | Unrealized sales profit | | 162,507 | | 715,238 | | 21,806 | | |
| | Unrealized exchange gain | | - | | (57,755 | ) | (1,761 | ) | |
| | Inventories | | 225,667 | | 295,999 | | 9,024 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | 2,462,903 | | 3,710,897 | | 113,137 | | |
| | Valuation allowance | | - | | (1,011 | ) | (31 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Net deferred tax assets – current | | 2,462,903 | | 3,709,886 | | 113,106 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
F-31
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | December 31, | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | Non-current: | | | | | | | | |
| | Investment tax credits | | 9,674,319 | | 9,929,707 | | 302,735 | | |
| | Net operating loss carryforwards | | 598,437 | | 11,594 | | 353 | | |
| | Overseas investment loss (gain) under the equity | | | | | | | | |
| | method | | 134,399 | | (89,961 | ) | (2,743 | ) | |
| | Other | | 161,415 | | 78,550 | | 2,395 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | 10,568,570 | | 9,929,890 | | 302,740 | | |
| | Valuation allowance | | (8,804,979 | ) | (8,931,179 | ) | (272,292 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Net deferred tax assets | | 1,763,591 | | 998,711 | | 30,448 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Deferred tax liabilities – property, plant and | | | | | | | | |
| | equipment | | (1,256,130 | ) | (776,554 | ) | (23,675 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Net deferred tax assets – non-current | | 507,461 | | 222,157 | | 6,773 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | 2,970,364 | | 3,932,043 | | 119,879 | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | Total gross deferred tax assets | | 13,031,473 | | 13,640,787 | | 415,877 | | |
| | Total gross deferred tax liabilities | | (1,256,130 | ) | (776,554 | ) | (23,675 | ) | |
| | Total valuation allowance | | (8,804,979 | ) | (8,932,190 | ) | (272,323 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | 2,970,364 | | 3,932,043 | | 119,879 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| (d) | Investment tax credits |
| | |
| | According to the Statute for Upgrading Industries, the purchase of machinery for the automation of production and pollution control, expenditure for research and development and training of professional personnel entitles the Company to tax credits. This credit may be applied over a period of five years. The amount of the credit that may be applied in any year except the final year is limited to 50% of the income tax payable for that year. There is no limitation on the amount of investment tax credit that may be applied in the final year. As of December 31, 2005, the Company’s remaining investment tax credits and their related expiration years were as follows: |
| | |
Year of assessment | | Unused tax credits | | Expiration year |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | (in thousands) | | |
2002 | | 2,201,625 | | 67,123 | | 2006 |
2003 | | 3,302,753 | | 100,694 | | 2007 |
2004 | | 2,726,050 | | 83,111 | | 2008 |
2005 (estimated) | | 4,012,885 | | 122,344 | | 2009 |
| |
| |
| | |
| | 12,243,313 | | 373,272 | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | |
F-32
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (e) | Loss carryforwards |
| | |
| | Pursuant to Republic of China Income Tax Law, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards approved by the tax authorities. This loss carryforwards may be applied over a period of five years. As of December 31, 2005, the Company’s remaining loss carryforwards and their related expiration years were as follows: |
| | |
Year of assessment | | Loss carryforwards | | Expiration year |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| | NT$ | | US$ | | |
(in thousands) |
2003 | | 9,655 | | 294 | | 2008 |
2004 | | 21,064 | | 642 | | 2009 |
2005 (estimated) | | 15,655 | | 477 | | 2010 |
| |
| |
| | |
| | 46,374 | | 1,413 | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| (f) | The 2001 income tax return has been assessed by the tax authorities for additional tax payable due to dispute in Unipac’s loss carry forward of NT$3,546,535 thousand prior to combination with the Company was regarded as not eligible for use by the Company after the merger. The Company disagreed with the assessment and subsequently filed a tax appeal. The appeal is still under review. The Company has evaluated the impact on the financial statements and accrued additional income tax in 2004. |
| | |
| | As of December 31, 2005, the tax authorities had assessed the income tax returns of the Company through 2001 and of Unipac through 2000. |
| | |
| (g) | Information about the integrated income tax system |
| | |
| | Beginning in 1998, an integrated income tax system was implemented in the Republic of China. Under the new tax system, the income tax paid at the corporate level can be used to offset the Republic of China resident stockholders’ individual income tax. The Company is required to establish an imputation credit account (ICA) to maintain a record of the corporate income taxes paid and imputation credit that can be allocated to each stockholder. The credit available to the Republic of China resident stockholders is calculated by multiplying the dividend by the creditable ratio. The creditable ratio is calculated as the balance of the ICA divided by earnings retained by the Company since January 1, 1998. |
| | |
F-33
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Information related to the ICA is summarized below:
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Unappropriated earnings: | | | | | | | | |
| Earned after January 1, 1998 | | 34,104,623 | | 34,507,005 | | 1,052,043 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| ICA balance | | 1,449 | | 376,987 | | 11,494 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 (estimated) | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| Creditable ratio for earnings distribution to the | | | | | | | | |
| Republic of China resident stockholders | | 1.89% | | 1.09% | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
(15) | Earnings Per Common Share |
| |
|
| Earning per common share in 2003, 2004 and 2005 are computed as follows: |
| |
| | | For the year ended December 31, |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | Pre-tax | | After tax | | Pre-tax | | After tax | | Pre-tax | | After tax | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | (in thousands) |
| Basic earnings per share: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net income | | 15,573,259 | | 15,659,928 | | 28,024,198 | | 27,962,852 | | 16,100,420 | | 15,626,991 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Weighted average number of | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| shares outstanding (thousand shares): | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Shares of common stock at | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| beginning of the year | | 4,015,255 | | 4,015,255 | | 4,340,237 | | 4,340,237 | | 4,946,041 | | 4,946,041 | |
| Issuance of common stock | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| for cash | | - | | - | | 156,667 | | 156,667 | | 146,465 | | 146,465 | |
| Issuance of shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| stock dividends | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| and employee stock bonus | | 244,055 | | 244,055 | | 305,804 | | 305,804 | | 542,506 | | 542,506 | |
| Treasury stock | | (2,926 | ) | (2,926 | ) | - | | - | | 3,748 | | 3,748 | |
| Certificates exchangeable for | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| common shares | | 33,044 | | 33,044 | | - | | - | | - | | - | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Weighted average number of | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| shares outstanding during | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| the year | | 4,289,428 | | 4,289,428 | | 4,802,708 | | 4,802,708 | | 5,638,760 | | 5,638,760 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Retroactive adjustment of | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| capitalization of retained earnings | | 803,680 | | 803,680 | | 526,785 | | 526,785 | | | | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
| Retroactively adjusted weighted | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| average outstanding shares | | 5,093,108 | | 5,093,108 | | 5,329,493 | | 5,329,493 | | | | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
| Basic earnings per share | | 3.63 | | 3.65 | | 5.84 | | 5.82 | | 2.86 | | 2.77 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Basic earnings per share – | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| retroactively adjusted | | 3.06 | | 3.07 | | 5.26 | | 5.25 | | | | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
F-34
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | | |
|
|
| | |
| | | | 2003 | | |
| | | |
|
|
| | |
| | | | Pre-tax | | After tax | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | Diluted earnings per share: | | | | | | |
| | Net income | | 15,573,259 | | 15,659,928 | | |
| | Effects of potential common shares: | | | | | | |
| �� | Adjustment for interest of | | | | | | |
| | convertible bonds payable | | 34,301 | | 25,726 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | | | 15,607,560 | | 15,685,654 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Shares of common stock at beginning of the year | | 4,015,255 | | 4,015,255 | | |
| | Potential number of common shares | | | | | | |
| | assumed upon conversion ofconvertible bonds | | 50,908 | | 50,908 | | |
| | Issuance of common stock for cash | | - | | - | | |
| | Treasury stock | | (2,926 | ) | (2,926 | ) | |
| | Issuance of shareholders stock dividends and employee stockbonus | | 244,055 | | 244,055 | | |
| | Certificates exchangeable forcommon shares | | 33,044 | | 33,044 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Weighted average number of shares outstanding during the year | | 4,340,336 | | 4,340,336 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Retroactive adjustment of capitalization of retainedearnings | | 813,219 | | 813,219 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Retroactively adjusted weighted average outstanding shares | | 5,153,555 | | 5,153,555 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Diluted earnings per share | | 3.60 | | 3.61 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | Diluted earnings per share – retroactively adjusted | | 3.03 | | 3.04 | | |
| | | |
| |
| | |
(16) | Financial Instruments |
| | |
| (a) | Non-derivative financial instruments |
| | |
| | The Company’s non-derivative financial assets include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, notes and accounts receivable, receivables from related parties, other financial assets, restricted cash in banks, refundable deposits and long-term investments. The Company’s non- derivative financial liabilities consist of short-term borrowings, long-term borrowings, bonds payable, accounts payable, payables to related parties, and equipment and construction in progress payables. |
| | |
F-35
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the carrying amounts of non-derivative financial instruments that were not equal to their fair values were as follows: |
| | |
| | | | December 31, 2004 | | December 31, 2005 |
| | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | Fair value | | Carrying amount | | Fair value | | Carrying amount | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | Assets: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Short-term investments | | 1,638,292 | | 1,586,504 | | 1,697,414 | | 51,750 | | 1,586,504 | | 48,369 | |
| | Long-term investments: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fair value (available) | | 4,493,857 | | 4,116,397 | | 6,209,126 | | 189,303 | | 3,805,433 | | 116,019 | |
| | Fair value (not available) | | - | | 1,834,291 | | - | | - | | 1,512,439 | | 46,111 | |
| | Liabilities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bonds payable | | 5,784,437 | | 6,000,000 | | 11,951,724 | | 364,382 | | 12,000,000 | | 365,854 | |
| |
| The following methods and assumptions are used to estimate the fair value for each class of non-derivative financial instruments: |
| | |
| 1. | The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, notes and accounts receivable, restricted cash in banks, refundable deposits, other current financial assets, accounts payable, payables to related parties, equipment and construction in progress payables and short-term borrowings approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these items. |
| | |
| 2. | The fair value of short-term investments is based on publicly quoted market prices. |
| | |
| 3. | It is not practicable to determine the fair value of long-term equity investments when these investments are not publicly traded. Refer to note 7 for information on the carrying amount. |
| | |
| 4. | Long-term borrowings are obtained at floating rates. The fair value approximates their carrying value. Refer to note 10. |
| | |
| 5. | The fair value of bonds payable is based on the present value using market interest rates of similar issuances by companies with comparable credit ratings. |
| | |
F-36
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (b) | Derivative financial instruments |
| | | |
| | 1. | Interest rate swaps |
| | | |
| | | The Company has entered into interest rate swap transactions to hedge its exposure to changes in cash flows associated with rising interest rates on its floating rate long-term debt. As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, interest rate swap contracts outstanding were as follows: |
|
December 31, 2004 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | Inception | | Maturity | | Notional amount | | Fixed interest rate paid | | Variable interest rate received | | Fair value |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | | | | | | NT$ | | | | | | NT$ |
(in thousands) |
| | | 2003 | | January 8, 2008~ | | 14,500,000 | | 1.65%~2.54% | | 1.007%~1.059% | | (174,799) |
| | | | | December 11, 2008 | | | | | | | | |
| | | 2004 | | January 16, 2009~ | | 4,500,000 | | 2.18%~2.78% | | 1.006%~1.091% | | (94,303) |
| | | | | July 13, 2009 | | | | | | | | |
| | | 2004 | | April 23, 2007~ | | 5,500,000 | | 1.43% | | 1.78%~3.50% | | (44,800) |
| | | | | April 23, 2009 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | (313,902) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 31, 2005 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | Inception | | Maturity | | Notional amount | | Fixed interest rate paid | | Variable interest rate received | | Fair value |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| | | | | | | NT$ | | | | | | NT$ |
(in thousands) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | 2003 | | January 8, 2008~ | | 14,500,000 | | 1.65%~2.54% | | 1.426%~1.458% | | (168,533) |
| | | | | December 11, 2008 | | | | | | | | |
| | | 2004 | | January 16, 2009~ | | 4,500,000 | | 2.18%~2.78% | | 1.42%~1.503% | | (98,890) |
| | | | | July 13, 2009 | | | | | | | | |
| | | 2004 | | April 23, 2009 | | 5,500,000 | | 1.43% | | 0%~3.0001% | | (46,282) |
| | | 2005 | | September 14, 2010~ | | 1,000,000 | | 2.03%~2.05% | | 1.454%~1.473% | | (586) |
| | | | | September 21, 2010 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | (314,291) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | | These agreements require the Company to make periodic fixed rate payments while receiving periodic variable rate payments indexed to the 90-day Taipei Money Market Secondary middle rate. The interest expense resulted from these interest rate swap contracts for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 was NT$128,987 thousand, NT$233,110 thousand and NT$184,136 thousand, respectively. |
F-37
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | 2. | Foreign currency forward contracts |
|
| | | The Company used foreign currency forward contracts to hedge existing assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and identifiable foreign currency purchase commitments. The counter parties of the Company’s derivative contracts are reputable financial institutions. |
|
| | | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the details of foreign currency forward contracts outstanding were as follows: |
| | | December 31, 2004 | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | Buy | | Sell | Contract amount | | Fair value | | | Settlement date | | Maturity amount | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | NT$ | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | (in thousands) | | | | | | | |
| | | NTD | | USD | US$ | 505,000 | | 382,593 | | | January 10, 2005~ | | NTD | 16,450,143 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | March 10, 2005 | | | | |
| | | YEN | | NTD | NT$ | 6,400,303 | | (21,279 | ) | | January 11, 2005~ | | YEN | 20,600,000 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | February 15, 2005 | | | | |
| | | YEN | | USD | US$ | 13,500 | | 2,111 | | | January 11, 2005~ | | YEN | 1,390,605 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | February 14, 2005 | | | | |
| | | USD | | NTD | NT$ | 472,000 | | 4,850 | | | March 10, 2005 | | USD | 15,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | 368,275 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 31, 2005 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | Buy | | Sell | Contract amount | | Fair value | | | Settlement date | | Maturity amount | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | NT$ | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | (in thousands) | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | NTD | | USD | US$ | 838,000 | | 449,283 | | | January 10, 2006~ | | NTD | 27,903,200 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | February 27, 2006 | | | | |
| | | YEN | | NTD | NT$ | 17,595,929 | | (286,768 | ) | | January 10, 2006~ | | YEN | 61,900,000 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | March 10, 2006 | | | | |
| | | YEN | | USD | US$ | 8,000 | | 1,274 | | | January 6, 2006~ | | YEN | 945,021 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | February 10, 2006 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | 163,789 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | The fair value of the derivative financial instruments is estimated based on quoted market prices from brokers or banks. | |
| | | | |
F-38 | |
| | | (Continued) | |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | As of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the unrealized gain based on the spot rates of the above foreign currency forward contracts were NT$100,043 thousand, NT$381,145 thousand and NT$290,207 thousand, respectively. The realized gain (loss) resulting from foreign currency forward contracts were NT$764,757 thousand, NT$588,502 thousand and NT$(1,094,308) thousand in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. The details of the above foreign currency forward contracts balance included in other current financial assets as of December 31, 2004 and 2005 are as follows: |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Foreign currency forward contracts receivable | | 23,774,288 | | 45,492,249 | | 1,386,959 | | |
| Foreign currency forward contracts payable | | (23,421,268 | ) | (45,374,351 | ) | (1,383,364 | ) | |
| Unamortized premium | | 10,539 | | 85,135 | | 2,595 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Foreign currency forward contracts receivable,net | | 363,559 | | 203,033 | | 6,190 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| (c) | Credit and other risks relating to financial instruments |
|
| | 1. | Credit risk relating to non-derivative instruments |
|
| | | The Company’s potential credit risk is derived primarily from cash in bank, short-term investments, and accounts receivable. |
|
| | | The Company maintains its cash and short-term investments with various reputable financial institutions. The Company performs periodic evaluations of the relative credit standing of these financial institutions and limits the amount of credit exposure with any one institution. As a result, the Company believes that there is a limited concentration of credit risk in cash and investments. |
|
| | | The majority of the Company’s customers are in the computer, consumer electronics and LCD TV industry. The Company continuously evaluates the credit quality of its customers. If necessary, the Company will require collateral from those customers. In addition, the Company evaluates the collectibility of trade receivables and provides adequate allowance for bad debts, if necessary. It is management’s belief that there will be no significant losses due to concentration of credit. |
|
F-39 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | 2. | Credit risk relating to derivative instruments |
|
| | | Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if the counter parties failed to perform. Credit risk will increase as the derivative instruments become more profitable to the Company. The Company entered into the above derivative contracts with major international foreign banks or reputable local banks. The likelihood of default on the part of the banks is considered remote. |
|
| | 3. | Market price risk relating to derivative instruments |
|
| | | Market price risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date for the derivative financial instruments due to the changes in market interest rates or foreign exchange rates. As the Company’s derivative financial instruments are for hedging purposes, the gains or losses due to changes in interest rates or foreign exchange rates will be offset by the hedged items. As a result, market price risk is considered low. |
|
| | 4. | Liquidity risk |
|
| | | Liquidity risk is the risk of being unable to settle the derivative contracts on schedule. The purpose of these instruments held by the Company is to manage and hedge changes in cash flows and risks associated with floating interest rate debt and foreign currency rates. There is no significant liquidity risk for the related cash flows. |
|
| | | The fair values of the financial instruments disclosed herein are not necessarily representative of the potential gain or loss that could be realized under current credit and market price risks. The Company does not believe a significant loss on the above financial derivative contracts will occur. |
|
(17) | Related-party Transactions |
|
| (a) | Name and relationship |
|
| | Name of related party | | Relationship with the Company |
| |
| |
|
| | BenQ Corporation (“BenQ”) | | Shareholder and represented on the |
| | | | Company’s board of directors; the |
| | | | Company’s affiliate |
| | Acer Inc. (“Acer”) | | Shareholder and represented on BenQ’s |
| | | | board of directors |
| | Aspire Service & Development Inc. (“ASD”) | | Subsidiary of Acer |
| | Min Tour Inc. (“MTI”) | | Subsidiary of Acer (dissolved in Sep. 2003 |
| | | | after merging with ASD) |
| | Wistron Corp. (“Wistron”) | | Investee of Acer |
| | Wistron Infocomm (Kunshan) Corp. (“WKS”) | | Subsidiary of Wistron |
| | | | |
F-40 |
| | | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Name of related party | | Relationship with the Company |
| |
| |
|
| | Wistron Infocomm (Philippines) Corp. (“WPH”) | | Subsidiary of Wistron |
| | Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing (Kunshan) Co., Ltd (“WEKS”) | | Subsidiary of Wistron |
| | United Microelectronics Corp. (“UMC”) | | Shareholder and represented on the Company’s board of directors (note 1) |
| | Novatek Microelectronics Corp. (“Novatek”) | | Investee of UMC (note 1) |
| | Applied Component Technology Corp. (“ACT”) | | Investee of UMC (note 1) |
| | Faraday Technology Corp. (“Faraday”) | | Investee of UMC (note 1) |
| | BenQ Mexican, S.A. De C. V. (“BQX”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | Darfon Electronics Corp. (“Darfon”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | Daxon Technology Inc. (“Daxon”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | BenQ Technologies Czech S.V.O. (“BQZ”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | BenQ (IT) Co., Ltd. Suzhou (“BQS”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | BenQ Optronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. (“BQOS”) | | Subsidiary of BenQ |
| | Cando Corporation (“Cando”) | | The Company’s affiliate, and the Company is represented on its board of directors |
| | Fujitsu Display Technologies Corporation (“FDTC”) | | The Company is represented on its board of directors (note 2) |
| | Wellypower Optronics Corporation | | Investee of Konly |
| | Note 1: | Since UMC has disposed more than half of its shares held in AUO on April 22, 2004, its membership of the board of directors has been dissolved. Consequently, UMC and the investees of UMC are not regarded as AUO’s related parties, and the amount of transactions between them and AUO are disclosed until the end of April 2004. |
| | | |
| | Note 2: | Due to disposition of FDTC shares in August 2004, the FDTC shares held by AUO have decreased to 10%, and AUO does not have significant influence to FDTC. Consequently, FDTC is not regarded as AUO’s related party, and the amount of transactions between FDTC and AUO are disclosed until the end of August 2004. |
| | | |
F-41 |
| | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (b) | Significant transactions with related parties |
| | | |
| | 1. | Sales |
| | | |
| | | Net sales to related parties were as follows: |
| | | | | For the year ended December 31, | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | BQS | | 18,781,418 | | 30,030,189 | | 26,532,871 | | 808,929 | |
| | | Acer | | 3,894,690 | | 6,733,616 | | 8,999,415 | | 274,372 | |
| | | BenQ | | 1,534,748 | | 2,310,915 | | 2,083,647 | | 63,526 | |
| | | WKS | | - | | 819,631 | | 961,816 | | 29,324 | |
| | | WEKS | | - | | - | | 826,929 | | 25,211 | |
| | | Wistron | | 736,320 | | 931,678 | | 393,157 | | 11,986 | |
| | | BQX | | 1,569,498 | | 850,691 | | 370,150 | | 11,285 | |
| | | BQOS | | 3,118 | | 132,753 | | 354,655 | | 10,813 | |
| | | BQZ | | - | | - | | 210,846 | | 6,428 | |
| | | WPH | | 641,726 | | 906,906 | | 167,742 | | 5,114 | |
| | | FDTC | | 769,492 | | 2,136,101 | | - | | - | |
| | | ACT | | 858,520 | | 164,972 | | - | | - | |
| | | Others | | 4,553 | | 64,325 | | 97,895 | | 2,985 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | 28,794,083 | | 45,081,777 | | 40,999,123 | | 1,249,973 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | |
| | | The collection terms for sales to related parties and other customers are month-end 30~45 days and 30~60 days respectively. The average collection days for sales to related parties for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 are 58 days, 44 days and 59 days, respectively, and for other customers are 43 days, 41 days and 52 days, respectively. The product price and other terms for sales to related parties are similar to those with unrelated customers. |
| | | |
F-42 |
| | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, receivables resulting from the above transactions were as follows: |
| | |
| | | | | December 31, | | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | BQS | | 4,007,503 | | 4,821,840 | | 147,007 | | |
| | | Acer | | 521,844 | | 1,967,407 | | 59,982 | | |
| | | BenQ | | 475,784 | | 409,520 | | 12,485 | | |
| | | BQX | | 85,144 | | 215,997 | | 6,585 | | |
| | | BQZ | | - | | 132,768 | | 4,048 | | |
| | | WEKS | | - | | 103,771 | | 3,164 | | |
| | | BQOS | | - | | 63,456 | | 1,935 | | |
| | | Wistron | | 116,164 | | 51,313 | | 1,564 | | |
| | | WPH | | 53,761 | | 27,704 | | 845 | | |
| | | WKS | | 213,020 | | 349 | | 11 | | |
| | | FDTC | | 14,804 | | - | | - | | |
| | | Others | | 13,055 | | 21,203 | | 646 | | |
| | | Less: allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns and discounts | | (83,079 | ) | (99,481 | ) | (3,033 | ) | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | 5,418,000 | | 7,715,847 | | 235,239 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | 2. | Purchases |
|
| | | Net purchases from related parties were as follows: |
|
| | | | | For the year ended December 31, | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Cando | | 1,494,354 | | 2,551,073 | | 2,986,751 | | 91,059 | |
| | | Daxon | | - | | - | | 676,729 | | 20,632 | |
| | | Darfon | | - | | 113,266 | | 203,737 | | 6,212 | |
| | | Novatek | | 1,440,428 | | 537,578 | | - | | - | |
| | | FDTC | | 310,707 | | 316,122 | | - | | - | |
| | | Faraday | | 175,593 | | 60,432 | | - | | - | |
| | | BenQ | | 218,414 | | - | | - | | - | |
| | | Others | | 5,301 | | 433 | | 58,626 | | 1,787 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | 3,644,797 | | 3,578,904 | | 3,925,843 | | 119,690 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F-43
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | |
| | | The purchase prices and payment terms with related parties were not materially different from those with unrelated vendors. The payment terms were both 30 to 120 days in 2004 and 2005. The purchase price and other terms for purchase from related parties are similar to those from unrelated customers. As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, payables resulting from the above purchases were as follows: |
| | | |
| | | | | December 31, | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | | |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Cando | | 633,938 | | 1,111,363 | | 33,883 | |
| | | Daxon | | - | | 608,060 | | 18,538 | |
| | | Others | | 91,367 | | 133,686 | | 4,076 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | 725,305 | | 1,853,109 | | 56,497 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | 3. | Acquisition of property, plant and equipment |
|
| | | Pursuant to board of directors resolution on January 12, 2005, the Company purchased the originally leased land at Lungtan from ASD for cash consideration of NT$2,774,000 thousand. In addition, acquisition of other property, plant, equipment and computer software from Acer, ACT, Novatek and Faraday and others for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 amounted to NT$24,731 thousand, NT$7,060 thousand and NT$29,794 thousand, respectively. |
|
| | | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the payables resulting from the above transactions were fully paid. |
|
| | 4. | Sale of equipment |
|
| | | Sale of equipment to UMC and others for the year ended December 31, 2003, amounted to NT$7,500 thousand. The related loss amounted to NT$8,184 thousand which were included in non-operating loss. As of December 31, 2004, the receivables resulting from the above transactions were collected completely. |
|
F-44 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | |
| | 5. | Technology-related fees and research and development |
|
| | | In 2003, the Company entered into a patent and technology agreement with FDTC. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company is required to pay an initial fee of NT$437,655 thousand and a fixed annual royalty fee. The initial fee is capitalized as an intangible asset and amortized over the estimated useful life whereas the fixed annual royalty fee is recorded as a research and development expense. |
|
| | | In March 2003, the Company also signed a collaborative research and development contract with FDTC that required the Company to pay a portion of certain project expenses on joint TFT-LCD research and development projects. The contract was cancelled in July 2004. |
|
| | | For the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2004, total technology-related fees amounted to NT$244,574 thousand and NT$182,302 thousand, respectively. |
|
| | 6. | Operating leases and others |
|
| | | The Company entered into lease agreements for land, building, dormitory and equipment with related parties. The related rent expenses and administration fees for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, were as follows: |
|
| | | | | For the year ended December 31, | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Acer | | - | | 19,484 | | 22,916 | | 699 | |
| | | ASD and MTI | | 89,337 | | 89,528 | | - | | - | |
| | | Others | | 9,948 | | 240 | | 526 | | 16 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | 99,285 | | 109,252 | | 23,442 | | 715 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | The Company’s prepaid rent for the above lease agreements amounted to NT$6,565 thousand and NT$0 thousand as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
| | | |
F-45 |
| | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | |
| | | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, refundable deposits resulting from the above transactions were as follows: |
| | | | | December 31, | | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | ASD and MTI | | 867,000 | | - | | - | | |
| | | Acer | | 3,245 | | 3,245 | | 99 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | 870,245 | | 3,245 | | 99 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | The Company leased part of its facility to related parties. The rental income amounted to NT$30,589 thousand, NT$21,819 thousand and NT$17,276 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, rental and other receivables, were NT$2,358 thousand and NT$10,267 thousand, respectively. The rental price and other terms for related parties are similar to those with unrelated customers. Amounts paid to related parties for reimbursement of miscellaneous expenditures such as electricity, telecommunications etc. paid on behalf of the Company amounted to NT$160,247 thousand, NT$119,147 thousand and NT$78,908 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, amounts due to related parties that resulted from lease agreements and operating expenses were NT$25,277 thousand and NT$52 thousand, respectively. During 2004 and 2005, the Company collected on behalf of Cando NT$812,136 thousand and NT$492,261 thousand, respectively, for purchases of equipments and materials. As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the receivables resulting from the above transactions were NT$0 and NT$40,686 thousand, respectively. During 2005, the Company received cash dividends of NT$189,900 thousand and NT$17,020 thousand from its investments in BenQ and Wellypower, respectively, which have been recorded as a deduction in the long-term investment account. |
| | | |
F-46 |
| | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(18) | Pledged Assets |
|
| Assets pledged as collateral are summarized below: |
|
| | | | | December 31, | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Pledged assets | | Pledged to secure | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | |
| Restricted cash in banks | | Oil purchase, customs duties | | | | | | | |
| | | and guarantees for foreignworkers | | 29,200 | | 32,200 | | 982 | |
| Building, | | Long-term borrowings | | 5,162,745 | | 6,867,162 | | 209,365 | |
| Machinery and | | Long-term borrowings and | | | | | | | |
| equipment | | bonds payable | | 84,182,259 | | 108,651,713 | | 3,312,552 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | 89,374,204 | | 115,551,075 | | 3,522,899 | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
(19) | Commitments and Contingencies |
|
| (a) | Outstanding letters of credit |
|
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the Company had the following outstanding letters of credit: |
|
| | | | December 31, | |
| | | |
|
|
| |
| | Currency | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | |
| | USD | | 9,741 | | 4,884 | |
| | JPY | | 3,144,102 | | 11,731,873 | |
| | NTD | | - | | 95,578 | |
| | The outstanding letters of credit facilitate the Company’s purchase of machinery and equipment from foreign suppliers. The letters of credit are irrevocable and expire upon the Company’s payment of the related obligations. |
| | |
F-47 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (b) | Technology and licensing agreements |
|
| | The Company has entered into technical cooperation and patent licensing agreements with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Matsushita), Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL), Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (Toppan), Fujitsu Limited, Hitachi Displays Ltd., Guardian Industries Corp., Sharp Corporation (Sharp) and others. Pursuant to the terms of each signed agreement, the Company is required to pay fixed license and patent fees and/or royalties based upon its use of technology and patents. Fixed license and patent fees are capitalized as intangible assets and amortized over their estimated useful lives. |
| | |
| | The details of the above capitalized technology fixed license and patent fees for product and process technology were as follows: |
| | | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Technology fixed license andpatent fees | | 6,619,143 | | 6,619,144 | | 8,503,838 | | 259,263 | | |
| | Less: accumulated amortization | | (4,381,207 | ) | (5,556,397 | ) | (6,020,509 | ) | (183,552 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | 2,237,936 | | 1,062,747 | | 2,483,329 | | 75,711 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Amortization expense for capitalized technology fixed license and patent fees amounted to NT$1,170,409 thousand, NT$1,175,190 thousand and NT$563,906 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
|
| (c) | Purchase commitments |
|
| | In March 2005, the Company entered into a non-cancelable long-term materials supply agreement with Corning Display Technologies Taiwan Co. Ltd. (Corning Taiwan) for the supply of LCD glass substrates. The contract runs from March 9, 2005 to June 30, 2009. In accordance with the contract, the Company makes prepayments to Corning Taiwan in several installments during the contract period which will be deductible from subsequent purchases. The portion of prepayments which are expected to be utilized within one year is included in current assets. The non-current portion is included under other assets. |
|
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, outstanding commitments for purchase agreements for major property, plant and equipment totaled NT$72,319,749 thousand and NT$41,967,317 thousand, respectively. |
|
F-48 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (d) | Operating lease agreements |
|
| | The Company entered into land lease agreements with the Science Park Administration Bureaus for a period of 20 years. In accordance with the lease agreements, rental payments are subject to 5 percent adjustment each year and/or as the government reappraises the land value. |
|
| | Future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2005, under the existing non-cancelable agreements are: |
|
| | Years | | Minimum lease payments | |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | NT$ | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | |
| | 2006 | | 98,911 | |
| | 2007 | | 98,911 | |
| | 2008 | | 98,911 | |
| | 2009 | | 98,911 | |
| | 2010 | | 98,911 | |
| | After 2011 | | 892,237 | |
| | Rental expense for operating leases amounted to NT$191,361 thousand, NT$218,716 thousand and NT$160,550 thousand in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. |
|
| (e) | Litigation |
|
| | Since March 2002, Sharp Corporation (Sharp) has launched a series of legal proceedings with regard to alleged patent infringements against the Company and its customers in the United States District Court of U.S.A. and the Tokyo District Court requesting for damages. On July 6, 2005, the Company settled some of the disputes relating to LCD panels for personal computer applications and entered into a patent cross license agreement with Sharp, taking retroactive effect as of July 1, 2005. In March 2006, the Company settled remaining outstanding disputes with Sharp. Refer to the second paragraph in Note 20. |
|
| | In April 2004, Commissariat AL’energie Atomique (CEA) launched a common plea with regard to alleged patent infringement against the Company in the United States District Court of Delaware. This litigation is in the final phase. As of December 31, 2005, the Company believes that the resolution of this litigation will not have material effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial position. |
|
| | To the Company’s knowledge, there are no other asserted or unasserted claims or litigation that could have or that have in the recent past, had any significant impact on its business results, financial condition, ownership of assets, and liabilities or results of operation. |
|
F-49 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(20) | Subsequent Events |
|
| In January 2006, the Company signed a patent cross-license agreement with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung) that covers patents in the area of TFT-LCD and OLED. Pursuant to the terms in the agreement, the Company is required to pay license fees during the term of the agreement. This agreement enhances both companies’ relationship in the development and delivery of innovative digital consumer electronics products by sharing each other’s respective technologies. |
|
| In March 2006, the Company and Sharp entered into an amended patent cross license agreement to supersede the agreement signed in July 2005 in its entirety and expand the scope to include other LCD panels. Pursuant to the terms in the agreement, the Company is required to pay license fees during the term of the agreement. |
|
| On April 7, 2006, the boards of directors of the Company and Quanta Display Inc. (QDI) entered into a merger agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, QDI will be merged into the Company with QDI shares being exchanged for the Company’s shares at a 3.5 to 1 conversion ratio, subject to certain adjustments. Consequently, the Company expects to issue 1,475,435,221 common shares. The merger is subject to shareholders approval for both QDI and the Company, and is also subject to regulatory approvals. The Company expects to consummate the transaction on or near October 1, 2006. If the proposed merger with QDI is completed based on the terms of the proposed agreement, the Company expects to account for the merger as a business combination using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ROC GAAP. The fair value of the shares issued by the Company to QDI’s shareholders will be allocated to the fair value of the QDI’s assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Any excess of the fair value of the purchase consideration over the fair value of QDI’s identifiable net assets acquired will be assigned to goodwill. If consummated, the merger with QDI is expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and its future consolidated operating results and cash flows. The amount of purchase consideration is calculated based upon the conversion ratio however should certain events stipulated in the merger agreement occur before the consummation date, such as capital increases, material assets dispositions or the need to adjust the conversion ratio to obtain approval from relevant governmental authorities, the ratio is subject to negotiation and adjustment by both parties’ board of directors authorized by shareholders’ meetings respectively. The Company has not made any effort to determine the amount of such consideration to be allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. |
| |
(21) | Industrial Segment Information |
|
| (a) | Industrial information |
|
| | The Company consists of a single reportable operating segment, namely, the research, development, production and sale of TFT-LCDs and other flat panel displays. |
|
| (b) | Geographic information |
|
| | Geographical breakdown of sales for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 are summarized as follows: |
|
F-50 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | For the year ended December 31, | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Taiwan | | 44,557,727 | | 68,274,912 | | 82,473,265 | | 2,514,429 | |
| | The People’s Republic of China | | 38,951,410 | | 64,288,311 | | 76,147,847 | | 2,321,581 | |
| | Other (individually less than 10% of totalnet sales) | | 21,351,505 | | 35,548,346 | | 58,767,276 | | 1,791,685 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | 104,860,642 | | 168,111,569 | | 217,388,388 | | 6,627,695 | |
| | | | | | | |
| |
|
| |
|
| | Sales are attributed to countries based upon the origin of the sales. | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
F-51 |
| | | | | | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | The Company’s TFT-LCD manufacturing process can be divided into three primary steps, namely the array process, cell process and module-assembly process. The array and cell processes are capital-intensive thus require highly automated production equipment. The module-assembly process is highly labor-intensive thus the Company has moved majority of the module-assembly operations to the PRC since 2002. Geographical breakdown of long-lived assets as of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 are summarized as follows: |
| | |
| | | | December 31, | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Taiwan | | 98,572,820 | | 151,409,890 | | 211,863,809 | | 6,459,262 | |
| | The People’s Republic of China | | 5,890,487 | | 10,645,228 | | 12,904,003 | | 393,415 | |
| | Other | | 2,994 | | 10,373 | | 8,137 | | 248 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | 104,466,301 | | 162,065,491 | | 224,775,949 | | 6,852,925 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| (c) | Major customer information |
|
| | For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, sales to individual customers representing greater than 10 percent of consolidated net sales were as follows: |
| | | | For the year ended December 31, | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | | Amount | | % | | Amount | | % | | Amount | | % | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| | | | NT$ | | | | NT$ | | | | NT$ | | US$ | | | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | BQS | | 18,781,418 | | 18 | | 30,030,189 | | 18 | | 26,532,871 | | 808,929 | | 12 | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F-52
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| |
(22) | Summary of Significant Differences Between Accounting Principles Followed by the Company and Accounting Principles Generally Accepted in the United States of America |
|
| The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China (ROC GAAP), which differ in certain significant respects from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP). A discussion of the significant differences between US GAAP, and, ROC GAAP as they apply to the Company is as follows: |
|
| (a) | Business combination |
|
| | AUO completed its merger with Unipac on September 1, 2001, through the issuance of 1,512,281 thousand common shares in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of Unipac. Under ROC GAAP, the merger was accounted for using the pooling-of-interests method and, accordingly, the assets and liabilities of Unipac were recorded based on the carrying value at the date of the merger. Further, according to the Republic of China Company Law, the excess of Unipac’s net assets over the par value of the Company’s issued common stock for completion of the merger was appropriated from unappropriated earnings and recorded as capital surplus. Under US GAAP, the merger was accounted for as the acquisition of Unipac by the Company using the purchase method of accounting. Under purchase accounting, the aggregate purchase price of NT$39,636,901 thousand was calculated based on the market value of the shares issued, and such amount was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. The market value of the shares was based on the average market price of the Company’s common shares over the five-day period before and after the terms of the acquisition were agreed upon and announced. The difference between the purchase price and the fair value of the assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities assumed of Unipac was recorded as goodwill. |
|
| | AUO’s management is responsible for the determination of the fair value of the assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities assumed of Unipac. In determining such fair values, management considered a number of factors, including valuation reports by third parties. The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of the assets and liabilities of Unipac at the date of acquisition. |
|
F-53 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | September 1, 2001 | |
| | | |
| |
| | | | NT$ | |
| | | | (in thousands) | |
| | | | | |
| | Current assets | | 10,566,296 | |
| | Long-term investments | | 38,767 | |
| | Property, plant and equipment | | 30,568,067 | |
| | Intangible assets | | 8,730,382 | |
| | Goodwill | | 11,599,692 | |
| | Other assets acquired | | 443,961 | |
| | | |
| |
| | Total assets | | 61,947,165 | |
| | | |
| |
| | Current liabilities | | 2,763,917 | |
| | Long-term debt | | 18,615,702 | |
| | Other liabilities | | 930,645 | |
| | | |
| |
| | Total liabilities assumed | | 22,310,264 | |
| | | |
| |
| | Net assets acquired | | 39,636,901 | |
| | | |
| |
| | Of the NT$8,730,382 thousand of acquired intangible assets, NT$53,450 thousand was assigned to in-process research and development assets that were written off at the date of acquisition in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 4, “Applicability of FASB Statement No. 2 to Business Combinations Accounted for by the Purchase Method”. The remaining NT$8,676,932 thousand of acquired intangible assets has a weighted average useful life of approximately 88 months and no estimated residual value. Such intangible assets include large-size TFT-LCD panel’s product and process technology of NT$3,123,655 thousand and small and mid-size TFT-LCD panel’s product and process technology of NT$5,553,277 thousand. The key technology for small and mid-size TFT-LCD production includes the technologies independently developed by Unipac and 13 related patents. The key technology for large-size TFT-LCD production includes the technologies jointly developed by Unipac and Matsushita, product technologies developed by Unipac and the three related patents. The fair value of Unipac’s inventory (represented by estimated selling prices less the sum of costs of disposal and a reasonable profit allowance for the selling effort) was less than its carrying amount by approximately NT$387,901 thousand at September 1, 2001. As a result, the amount allocated to Unipac’s inventory in connection with the purchase price allocation performed under US GAAP was NT$387,901 thousand less than the carrying value of Unipac’s inventory under ROC GAAP. All of the affected inventory was sold by December 31, 2002. The remaining purchase price of NT$11,599,692 thousand was allocated to goodwill. Pursuant to Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 141, “Business Combinations”, goodwill arising from purchase business combinations are not amortized but are tested for impairment. Amortization of goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes. |
| | |
F-54 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | There were deferred tax assets of NT$652,960 thousand with a related valuation allowance for deferred tax assets of NT$652,960 thousand and deferred tax liabilities of NT$680,849 thousand, respectively, which were recorded as part of the purchase accounting at September 1, 2001. As the Company continues to generate profits after 2002, the valuation allowance was released. In accordance with SFAS No. 109, the release of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets that were created from a purchase accounting transaction results in a reduction in goodwill rather that a benefit recorded in the income statement. For US GAAP purposes, the Company has applied the requirements of SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.” SFAS No. 142 classifies intangible assets into three categories: 1) intangible assets with definite lives subject to amortization; 2) intangible assets with indefinite lives not subject to amortization; and 3) goodwill. For intangible assets with definite lives, tests for impairment must be performed if conditions exist that indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Company has no intangible assets with indefinite lives. The Company performs tests of impairment of goodwill annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate it might be impaired. The Company has determined that it is a single reporting unit for purposes of testing goodwill for impairment. Accordingly, the Company compares its total stockholders’ equity (determined on a US GAAP basis) to its market value (based on the quoted value of its common stock) on the impairment evaluation date to determine if goodwill is potentially impaired. Based on these assessments, the Company concluded that goodwill was not impaired. The Company’s product and process technology intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. The Company reviews such product and process technology assets with definite lives for impairment to ensure they are appropriately valued if conditions exist that may indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Such conditions may include an economic downturn in a geographic region, or a change in the assessment of future operations. During 2004, the Company recognized the other than temporary impairment of an investment in marketable securities that was originally recorded in connection with the merger with Unipac. The adjustments to net income determined in accordance with US GAAP for the year ended December 31, 2004 present separately that portion of the impairment related to the increase in carrying amount from the application of purchase accounting and the amount related to Unipac’s original basis. |
| | |
F-55 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (b) | Compensation |
|
| | 1. | Remuneration to directors and supervisors |
|
| | | According to AUO’s articles of incorporation, a remuneration amount up to 1% of annual distributable earnings may be paid to its directors and supervisors. Under ROC GAAP, such payments are charged directly to retained earnings in the period stockholders approve such payment and treated as financing activities in the statements of cash flows. |
|
| | | Under US GAAP, such cash payments are recorded as compensation expense in the period when the related services are rendered and treated as operating activities in the statements of cash flows. |
|
| | 2. | Employee bonuses |
|
| | | Certain employees of AUO are entitled to bonuses in accordance with provisions of AUO’s articles of incorporation, which specify a bonus amount ranging from 5 % to 10 % of annual distributable earnings. Employee bonuses may be paid in cash, shares, or a combination of both. Under ROC GAAP, such bonuses are appropriated from retained earnings in the period stockholders’ approval is obtained. If such employee bonuses are settled through the issuance of stock, the amount charged against retained earnings is based on the par value of the common shares issued. Under US GAAP, employee bonus expense is charged to income in the year services are provided. Shares to be issued as part of these bonuses are recorded at fair value determined at the date on which the number of shares to be issued is known. Since the amount and form of the bonuses are not determinable until the stockholders’ meeting in the subsequent year, the total amount of the bonus is initially accrued based on the Company’s best estimation of employee bonus to be paid in cash. Any difference between the amount initially accrued and fair value of bonuses settled by the issuance of shares is recognized in the year of approval by the stockholders. |
|
| | 3. | Transfer of treasury stock to employees |
|
| | | Based on board of directors resolution on December 16, 2002, the Company decided to purchase its own shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange for use as employee bonus shares in future periods. During 2002 and 2003, the Company purchased treasury stock amounting to 12,000 thousand shares at a total cost of NT$250,981 thousand. None of the treasury stock had been disposed of or transferred to employees as of December 31, 2004. Upon approval by the Financial Supervisory Commission of the ROC (FSC) on August 16, 2005, the Company transferred to its employees all of the treasury stock at a price below the carrying value of the treasury stocks. The plan prescribed a service condition of one year. Pursuant to the terms in the transfer agreement, 50% of the shares was deemed vested upon grant date and the remaining 50% nonvested until the fulfillment of service requisite period. |
|
F-56 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | Under ROC GAAP, the Company adopted SFAS No. 30, “Accounting for Treasury Stock”, and accounts for the transaction as a disposal of treasury stocks. The difference between the selling price and carrying value of treasury stocks is offset against capital surplus. Under US GAAP, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation” and evaluated the arrangement as an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) that grants rights to purchase shares at the stated price and has no option feature. Compensation cost is measured as the excess of the quoted market price over the exercise price at the date of grant taking into account of expected forfeiture rate. Pursuant to the terms in the transfer agreement, the Company recognized compensation cost of NT$215,580 thousand immediately to current operations on the grant date and accrued NT$215,580 thousand as deferred compensation cost, NT$67,922 thousand of which was charged to current operations for the year ended December 31, 2005. |
| | | |
| (c) | Equity method investments |
|
| | When the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of investees (generally those in which the Company owns between 20% and 50% of the investee’s voting shares), those investments are accounted for using the equity method. The difference between the acquisition cost and the carrying amount of net equity of the investee as of the acquisition date is allocated based upon the pro rata excess of fair value over the carrying value of assets on investee’s books. Any unallocated difference is treated as investor level goodwill. Under ROC GAAP, the amount of unallocated difference is amortized over five years. Under US GAAP, it is not amortized. Rather, the carrying value of the total investment is assessed for impairment. In accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock” (APB 18), the equity method is to be applied retroactively from the date significant influence is obtained. |
|
| | If an investee company issues new shares and the shareholders do not acquire new shares in proportion to their original ownership percentage, the investor’s equity in the investee’s net assets will be changed. Under ROC GAAP, the change in the equity interest shall be used to adjust the capital surplus and the long-term investments accounts. If a company’s capital surplus is not sufficient to offset the adjustment to long-term investment, the difference shall be debited to retained earnings. Under US GAAP, subsequent investments are treated as a step acquisition and additional consideration is allocated to the incremental pro rata share of the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired. When the company does not acquire new shares in proportion to its original ownership percentage, any gain or loss resulting from the change in investee’s equity shall be recognized directly to equity as a capital transaction in accordance with SAB 51, “Accounting for Sales of Stock by a Subsidiary”. This policy has been consistently applied. |
|
F-57 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| | Prior to January 1, 2005, as permitted under ROC GAAP, the Company recognized its equity income (loss) of investees in the following year on a one-year lag basis. Commencing January 1, 2005, as required by the amended ROC SFAS No.5, “Long-Term Investments in Equity Securities”, the Company recognizes the income (loss) of investees on a current year basis. Under US GAAP, the company recognizes the income (loss) of investees on a current year basis in accordance with the APB 18. In March 2003, the Company purchased a 20% equity ownership in FDTC resulting in recognition of investor level goodwill of NT$240,179 thousand. In August 2004, the Company disposed 10% ownership in FDTC and became unable to exercise significant influence over FDTC. As a result starting from September 2004, the investment in FDTC is accounted for by the cost method. In May 2005, the Company sold the remaining 10% ownership in FDTC at a gain of NT$73,009 thousand. In November 2003, the Company purchased a 12.31% ownership in Cando and accounted for its investment under the equity method of accounting. The Company recognized investor level goodwill of NT$22,769 thousand. In February and May 2004, the Company made additional investments in Cando. Under ROC GAAP, the Company charged NT$153,569 thousand to retained earnings in 2004. Under US GAAP, the subsequent investments are treated as a step acquisition and the Company therefore recognized investor level goodwill of NT$230,616 thousand. In 2004, the Company purchased a 5.47% ownership in BenQ and accounted for its investment under the equity method of accounting. The Company recognized investor level goodwill of NT$1,120,275 thousand. In 2005, the Company’s equity interest in BenQ was diluted as a result of non-participation in investee’s capital increase and other changes in BenQ’s equity during the year. Under ROC GAAP, the Company recognized NT$164,910 thousand to increase capital surplus and charged NT$86,500 to retained earnings. Under US GAAP, the Company adjusted NT$78,410 thousand to capital surplus. On October 1, 2005, BenQ acquired Siemens’ mobile phone business and recognized negative goodwill of NT$5,727,307 thousand under ROC GAAP. Negative goodwill is amortized under ROC GAAP. Under US GAAP, the entire amount has been recognized as an extraordinary gain in the statements of income. As required by APB 18, the Company recognized its proportionate share of extraordinary gain reported by its investee. |
| | |
F-58 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Prior to January 1, 2005, Patentop and FDTC were unable to forward their stand-alone audited financial statements in a timely manner. Under ROC GAAP, the Company recognized the income (loss) of these investees in the following year. Commencing January 1, 2005, income (loss) of Patentop has been recognized on a current year basis. Under US GAAP, the Company recognizes its equity in the income (loss) of Patentop and FDTC in the current year on a current year basis. In January 2005, the Company made additional investments in Wellypower and accounted for its investment prospectively under the equity method of accounting under ROC GAAP. The Company did not retroactively apply the equity method of accounting for its investment in Wellypower under US GAAP because the effects on prior periods are immaterial. The Company recognized investor level goodwill of NT$8,442 thousand as a result of these additional investments. |
| | |
| (d) | Marketable securities |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, marketable securities are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or market. The fair value is determined by the average price for one month before the balance sheet date. Under US GAAP, marketable securities that have readily determinable fair values are to be classified as either trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity securities. The fair value is determined as of the balance sheet date. Marketable securities that are bought and traded for short-term profit are classified as trading securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. Marketable securities not classified as trading securities are classified as available- for-sale securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of other comprehensive income. However, when the investment is deemed to be other than temporarily impaired, it is written down to fair value at the end of the period of assessment through a charge to earnings. |
|
| | The Company had no trading or held-to-maturity securities as of December 31, 2004 and 2005. At December 31, 2004, the unrealized loss of one of the Company’s available-for-sale securities was in a continuous unrealized loss position for more than twelve months, amounted to NT$922,901 thousand. The Company determined that the impairment was other than temporary, and as a result, the unrealized loss of NT$922,901 thousand was written off to current operations. |
|
| (e) | Provision for inventory obsolescence and devaluation |
|
| | A provision for inventory obsolescence and devaluation is recorded when management determines that the realizable values of inventories are less than their cost basis. Under ROC GAAP, such provisions can be reversed in whole or in part if management further determines that the realizable values of inventories are greater than their cost basis. Under US GAAP, provisions for inventory obsolescence and devaluation become a permanent adjustment to the carrying amount of the specific inventory, and cannot be reversed once they are recorded. |
|
F-59 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (f) | Land cost |
|
| | Pursuant to board of directors resolution on January 12, 2005, the Company purchased land in Lungtan which was previously leased by the Company from Aspire Service and Development Inc. (ASD). Prior to the acquisition, the lease arrangement was subject to rent escalation adjustment of 5% each year. As a result, under US GAAP, the Company recognized a cumulative escalation adjustment of rental expense of NT$86,278 thousand since prior years. At the time of acquisition, the liability was eliminated and the cost of land was reduced by this amount under US GAAP. |
|
| (g) | Convertible bonds |
|
| | When convertible bonds are issued, ROC GAAP does not recognize or account for any beneficial conversion feature embedded in the bonds. Under US GAAP, beneficial conversion features should be recognized and measured by allocating a portion of the proceeds equal to the intrinsic value of that feature to capital surplus. In connection with the Company’s issuance of convertible bonds in November 2001, the amount of the beneficial conversion feature was calculated at the commitment date as the difference between the conversion price and the fair value of the common stock, multiplied by the number of shares into which the security is convertible. As a result of allocating a portion of the proceeds equal to the intrinsic value of the beneficial conversion feature to capital surplus, a discount on the bonds was recognized. The discount resulting from such allocation is recognized as interest expense over the life of the convertible debt. The face amount of the convertible bonds was NT$10,000,000 thousand, and the discount recognized on the date of issuance resulting from the beneficial conversion feature was NT$886,076 thousand. The effective interest rate of the bonds was approximately 6.0%, and their carrying amount at December 31, 2002 under US GAAP was NT$1,205,996 thousand. The convertible bonds were fully converted in October 2003. |
|
| (h) | Shareholders stock dividends paid |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, shareholders stock dividends paid are recorded at par value, with a charge to retained earnings. Under US GAAP, generally if the ratio of distribution is less than 25 % of the same class of shares outstanding, the fair value of the shares issued should be charged to retained earnings. The effect of stock dividends issued in 2004 and 2005 decreased retained earnings and increased capital surplus by NT$13,671,747 thousand and NT$18,918,606 thousand, respectively. |
|
F-60 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (i) | Pension benefits |
|
| | Prior to January 1, 1998, the pension expense recorded by the Company in connection with its defined benefit pension plan was based on contributions made by the Company to the pension plan as required by the Republic of China Labor Standards Law (the “old system”). Effective from January 1, 1998, the Company adopted ROC GAAP, SFAS No. 18, “Accounting for Pensions”, which is identical to US GAAP, SFAS No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions” and SFAS No. 88, “Employers’ Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and for Termination Benefits”, with the exception of the accounting upon adoption. Subsequent to January 1, 1998, net pension expense was recognized on an actuarially determined basis. Under US GAAP, the Company accounts for its defined benefit pension plan in accordance with SFAS No. 87. Accumulated pension obligation and pension expense are determined on an actuarial basis from the date the pension plan was started in 1996. Therefore, pension obligation and related expense are different between ROC GAAP and US GAAP because of unrecognized prior service cost. In 2003, the Company adopted US GAAP, SFAS No. 132 (revised 2003), “Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits”. SFAS No. 132, as revised, requires additional disclosures about assets, obligations, cash flows and net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit pension plans. SFAS No. 132 did not change the measurement or recognition of those plans required by SFAS No. 87 or SFAS No. 88. There are no other material differences between ROC GAAP and US GAAP relating to the accounting of defined benefit pension plan. |
|
| | Beginning July 1, 2005, pursuant to the effective ROC Labor Pension Act (the “new system”), employees who elected to participate in the new system or joined the Company after July 1, 2005, are subject to a defined contribution plan under the new system. There is no material difference between ROC GAAP and US GAAP relating to the accounting of defined contribution pension plan. |
|
| | Substantially all participants in the Defined Benefit Plan elected to participate in the Defined Contribution Plan. The transfer of participants to the Defined Contribution Plan did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. Participants’ accumulated benefits under the Defined Benefit Plan were not impacted by their election to change in plans and their seniority remains regulated by the ROC Labor Standard Law, such as the retirement criteria and the amount payable. The Company is required to make contribution to the Defined Benefit Plan until it is fully funded. |
|
| (j) | Depreciation of property, plant and equipment |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, the Company depreciates buildings over 20 to 50 years based on guidance from the Republic of China Internal Revenue Code. Under US GAAP, buildings are depreciated over their estimated useful lives, which is considered to be 20 years. |
|
F-61 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (k) | Derivative financial instruments |
|
| | The Company operates internationally, giving rise to exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company also has exposure to changes in interest rates that affect its cash flows on long-term debt. The Company uses financial instruments, including derivatives such as foreign currency forward contracts and interest rate swaps, to reduce these exposures. |
|
| | For interest rate swaps contracts, the Company generally makes specified payments based on fixed interest rate and notional principal amounts and receives amounts based on variable rate of interest and notional principal. Under ROC GAAP, the net amounts received or paid under the contracts are reported as adjustments to interest expense on long-term debt. The Company’s forward contract receivables and payables are recorded at the spot rate at the date of inception. The discount or premium is amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the contract. Realized and unrealized gains or losses on forward contracts resulting from actual settlement or balance sheet date translation are charged or credited to current operation. |
|
| | Under US GAAP, prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” as amended, the Company recorded its interest rate swaps as hedge transactions by recording the net receivable or payable each month related to these interest rate swap contracts, offsetting and adding to interest expense of the related debts. For foreign currency forward contracts prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 133, as amended, the Company recorded unrealized gains or losses measured using the change in spot rate of the contract in the consolidated statements of income if the contracts were used to hedge existing foreign currency denominated receivables and payables, or deferred recognition of unrealized gains or losses for those contracts hedging anticipated transactions that would be denominated in a foreign currency. The discount or premium on a forward contract was amortized into earnings over the life of the contract. |
|
| | As a result of adopting SFAS No. 133, as amended, as of January 1, 2001, and in accordance with the transition provisions, the Company recorded an after tax charge of NT$551 thousand representing the cumulative effect of the adoption related to the foreign currency forward contracts, and a cumulative after-tax adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive income of NT$30,937 thousand related to the interest rate swaps. The transition adjustments recorded upon adoption of SFAS No. 133 have been fully amortized as of December 31, 2004. |
|
| | After the adoption of SFAS No. 133, as amended, none of the Company’s existing derivatives meet the US GAAP hedge accounting criteria. All derivative contracts are recognized as either assets or liabilities and are measured at fair value at each balance sheet date. Changes in fair values of derivative instruments arising subsequent to the transition date are recognized in earnings for US GAAP purposes. In addition, the Company reclassified NT$2,812 thousand, net of tax, of the deferred losses from accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings from the interest rate swap contracts in 2004. Changes in the fair value of these derivatives in subsequent periods could result in increased volatility of results of operations under US GAAP. |
|
F-62 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| (l) | Compensated absences |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, the Company is not required to accrue for unused vacation at the end of each year. However, under US GAAP, unused vacation that can be carried over to periods subsequent to that in which they are earned are accrued for at each balance sheet date. |
|
| (m) | Research and development expense |
|
| | For ROC GAAP, the amortization of the payment of the capitalized technology fixed license and patent fees for product and process technology is included in research and development expense. For US GAAP, this amortization expense is included in cost of goods sold. |
|
| (n) | Operating leases |
|
| | The Company entered into certain non-cancelable lease agreements with rental payments subject to escalation adjustments of 5% each year. Under ROC GAAP, fixed escalation of rental payment is recognized as they become payable. Under US GAAP, fixed escalation of rental payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. |
|
| (o) | Income tax |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, a valuation allowance is provided on deferred tax assets when they are not certain to be realized based upon consideration of projection of future taxable income. However, the criteria by which the need for a valuation allowance is determined is less stringent as compared to US GAAP. Under US GAAP, cumulative losses in recent years are a significant piece of negative evidence which makes it difficult to support a conclusion that expected taxable income from future operations justifies recognition of deferred tax assets. The Company suffered losses in 2001 and also had a net loss in the fourth quarter of 2002. As a result, the Company did not use the projection of future taxable income in determining its net deferred tax asset valuation allowance for periods through December 31, 2002. However, as the Company continues to generate taxable income from 2003 onwards, more positive evidence is available that permits the use of available future taxable income projections in determining the extent of the valuation allowance. As a result, the Company released valuation allowance of NT$1,869,051 thousand in 2003. The Company did not release any additional valuation allowance in 2004 and 2005 related to expectations of additional future taxable income. |
| | |
| | Under a revised ROC tax rule effective on January 1, 1998, an additional 10 percent corporate income tax will be assessed on taxable income but only to the extent such taxable income is not distributed before the end of the following year. As a result, from January 1, 1998, to January 20, 2001, the undistributed income of the Company is subject to a corporate tax rate of 28% and distributed income is taxed at 20%. Commencing from January 20, 2001, the undistributed and distributed income are subject to a corporate tax rate of 32.5% and 25%, respectively. Under ROC GAAP, the 10% tax on undistributed earnings is recognized as an expense at the date that stockholders resolve the amount of the earnings distribution. Under US GAAP, the Company measures its tax expense, including the tax effects of temporary differences, using the tax rate applicable to undistributed earnings. |
| | |
F-63 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | Although tax rates applied under ROC GAAP and US GAAP are different, the amount of future taxable income and the amount of subsequent distributions to be made are the same and consistent under both bases of accounting. The analyses under ROC GAAP and US GAAP take into consideration of these premises and therefore the level of net deferred taxes are the same under both bases of accounting. Pursuant to the Statute of Income Basic Tax Amount (the “IBTA Statute”) announced in late 2005, an alternative minimum tax system will become effective commencing January 1, 2006 in Taiwan. When a taxpayer’s income tax amount is less than the basic tax amount (“BTA”), a taxpayer will be required to pay the regular income tax and the difference between the BTA and the regular income tax amount. For enterprises, BTA is determined using regular taxable income plus specific add-back items applied with a tax rate ranging from 10% to 12%. The add-back items include exempt capital gain from non-publicly traded security transactions and exempt income under tax holidays. Currently, the tax rate set by the tax authority is 10%. There are grandfathered treatments for the tax holidays approved by the tax authorities before the IBTA Statute took effect. The Company believes that the adoption of the IBTA Statute will not have a significant impact to the financial statements. |
| | |
F-64 |
| | (Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (p) | Earnings (loss) per share |
|
| | Under ROC GAAP, basic earnings (loss) per share (EPS) are calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the year. Diluted EPS is calculated by taking basic EPS into consideration, plus additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential diluted shares had been issued. Net income would also be adjusted for the interest derived from any underlying diluted shares. The weighted-average outstanding shares are restated for shareholders stock dividends issued, including transfers from retained earnings and capital surplus to common stock, and employee stock bonus issued. |
|
| | Under US GAAP, the calculation of basic and diluted EPS is substantially the same as compared to the calculation under ROC GAAP, except for shares issued for employee bonus are not restated. The diluted effects of the Company’s convertible bonds issued in November 2001 were considered in the diluted EPS calculation for the years 2002 and 2003. As the Company’s convertible bonds were fully converted in October 2003, there is no diluted effect on the Company’s EPS in 2004 and 2005. |
|
F-65 |
(Continued) |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (q) | US GAAP reconciliations |
|
| | 1. | Reconciliation of consolidated net income |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands except for per share data) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net income, ROC GAAP | | 15,659,928 | | 27,962,852 | | 15,626,991 | | 476,433 | | |
| US GAAP adjustments: | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Recognition of purchase method ofaccounting | | | | | | | | | | |
| | - | Amortization of intangible assets | | (1,049,496 | ) | (1,049,496 | ) | (1,049,496 | ) | (31,997 | ) | |
| | - | Amortization of premium on bonds payable | | 36,687 | | 12,364 | | - | | - | | |
| | - | Depreciation | | 162,517 | | 209,138 | | 118,490 | | 3,613 | | |
| | - | Deferred tax liabilities | | 680,849 | | - | | - | | - | | |
| (i) | Pension expense | | - | | 3,058 | | 1,057 | | 32 | | |
| (b) | Compensation | | | | | | | | | | |
| | - | Remuneration to directors and supervisors | | (70,470 | ) | (37,447 | ) | (21,096 | ) | (643 | ) | |
| | - | Employee bonuses | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | - Provision | | (1,268,454 | ) | (1,622,709 | ) | (1,265,786 | ) | (38,591 | ) | |
| | | - Adjustment to fair value | | (450,977 | ) | (5,593,883 | ) | (4,137,909 | ) | (126,156 | ) | |
| | - | Compensation cost arising from ESPP | | - | | - | | (283,502 | ) | (8,643 | ) | |
| (c) | Investment gain (loss) on long-terminvestment–equity method | | (163,376 | ) | 209,694 | | 139,516 | | 4,253 | | |
| (c) | Equity portion investee extraordinary gain | | - | | - | | 308,702 | | 9,412 | | |
| (d) | Investment loss on marketable securities | | (34,877 | ) | (922,901 | ) | - | | - | | |
| (e) | Provision for inventory obsolescence anddevaluation | | 33,945 | | - | | - | | - | | |
| (g) | Accretion of interest expense resulting from | | | | | | | | | | |
| | beneficial conversion feature of convertiblebonds | | (18,507 | ) | - | | - | | - | | |
| (j) | Depreciation of property, plant andequipment | | (197,882 | ) | (359,310 | ) | (756,783 | ) | (23,073 | ) | |
| (k) | Derivative financial instruments recorded atfair value | | 22,270 | | (249,585 | ) | (45,051 | ) | (1,374 | ) | |
| (l) | Compensated absences expense | | (73,874 | ) | (49,232 | ) | 40,952 | | 1,248 | | |
| (n) | Escalation adjustment of rent expense | | (15,453 | ) | 2,080 | | 2,129 | | 65 | | |
| Tax effect of US GAAP adjustments | | 593,545 | | 416,978 | | 556,036 | | 16,952 | | |
| (o) | Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets | | 1,869,051 | | (819,053 | ) | (556,036 | ) | (16,952 | ) | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income, US GAAP | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,678,214 | | 264,579 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Earnings per share – Basic: | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Income before extraordinary item | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.50 | | 0.05 | | |
| | Extraordinary item | | - | | - | | 0.05 | | 0.00 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Net income | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.55 | | 0.05 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Earnings per share – Diluted: | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Income before extraordinary item | | 3.18 | | 3.49 | | 1.50 | | 0.05 | | |
| | Extraordinary item | | - | | - | | 0.05 | | 0.00 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Net income | | 3.18 | | 3.49 | | 1.55 | | 0.05 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Basic –Weighted-average number of shares outstanding (in thousands) | | 4,884,435 | | 5,194,356 | | 5,595,014 | | 5,595,014 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Diluted –Weighted-average number of shares outstanding (in thousands) | | 4,942,700 | | 5,194,356 | | 5,595,014 | | 5,595,014 | | |
| | | | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
F-66
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 2. | Reconciliation of consolidated stockholders’ equity | | | | | | | | |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Total stockholders’ equity, ROC GAAP | | 130,565,595 | | 155,702,187 | | 4,747,018 | | |
| (a) | Recognition of purchase method of accounting | | | | | | | | |
| | - Goodwill | | 10,946,732 | | 10,946,732 | | 333,742 | | |
| | - Intangible assets, net of amortization | | 4,197,982 | | 3,148,486 | | 95,990 | | |
| | - Other assets | | 484,299 | | 602,789 | | 18,377 | | |
| | - Other liabilities | | (29,687 | ) | (28,630 | ) | (873 | ) | |
| (b) | Compensation | | | | | | | | |
| | - Remuneration to directors and supervisors | | (37,447 | ) | (21,096 | ) | (643 | ) | |
| | - Employee bonuses accrual | | (1,622,709 | ) | (1,265,786 | ) | (38,591 | ) | |
| | - Deferred expense arising from ESPP | | - | | 147,658 | | 4,502 | | |
| (c) | Long-term investment – equity method | | 196,714 | | 554,448 | | 16,904 | | |
| (c) | Cumulative translation adjustment | | (12,333 | ) | 12,719 | | 388 | | |
| (d) | Marketable securities | | (426,537 | ) | (544,867 | ) | (16,612 | ) | |
| (f) | Land cost | | - | | (86,278 | ) | (2,630 | ) | |
| (j) | Accumulated depreciation of property, plant and | | | | | | | | |
| | equipment | | (972,407 | ) | (1,729,190 | ) | (52,719 | ) | |
| (k) | Derivative financial instruments recorded at fair value | | (308,785 | ) | (353,836 | ) | (10,788 | ) | |
| (l) | Compensated absences accrual | | (183,943 | ) | (142,991 | ) | (4,359 | ) | |
| (n) | Accrued rental expense | | (111,858 | ) | (23,451 | ) | (715 | ) | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total stockholders’ equity, US GAAP | | 142,685,616 | | 166,918,894 | | 5,088,991 | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-67
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (r) | US GAAP Consolidated Financial Statements |
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars)
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| Assets | | | | | | | | |
| Current assets: | | | | | | | | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | | 16,797,663 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | | |
| Securities available for sale | | 2,676,206 | | 1,551,696 | | 47,308 | | |
| Notes and accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful | | | | | | | | |
| accounts and sale returns and discounts of NT$705,733 thousand | | | | | | | | |
| and NT$406,027 thousand as of December 31, 2004 and 2005, | | | | | | | | |
| respectively | | 15,297,617 | | 34,848,588 | | 1,062,457 | | |
| Receivables from related parties | | 5,420,358 | | 7,766,800 | | 236,793 | | |
| Inventories | | 15,884,989 | | 19,167,488 | | 584,375 | | |
| Prepayments and other current assets | | 1,302,384 | | 2,458,830 | | 74,964 | | |
| Deferred tax assets | | 875,307 | | 1,413,154 | | 43,084 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total current assets | | 58,254,524 | | 93,469,821 | | 2,849,690 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Long-term investments: | | | | | | | | |
| Equity method | | 5,719,066 | | 5,804,520 | | 176,967 | | |
| Other long-term investments | | 412,704 | | 83,400 | | 2,543 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total long-term investments | | 6,131,770 | | 5,887,920 | | 179,510 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Property, plant and equipment: | | | | | | | | |
| Land | | 159,996 | | 3,504,258 | | 106,837 | | |
| Buildings | | 16,554,160 | | 37,962,042 | | 1,157,379 | | |
| Machinery and equipment | | 140,584,004 | | 239,565,644 | | 7,303,831 | | |
| Other equipment | | 9,736,977 | | 13,661,181 | | 416,499 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 167,035,137 | | 294,693,125 | | 8,984,546 | | |
| Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | | (58,948,917 | ) | (90,980,259 | ) | (2,773,788 | ) | |
| Construction in progress | | 13,061,619 | | 1,704,372 | | 51,963 | | |
| Prepayments for purchases of land and equipment | | 38,037,431 | | 15,556,729 | | 474,290 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net property, plant and equipment | | 159,185,270 | | 220,973,967 | | 6,737,011 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Intangible assets: | | | | | | | | |
| Goodwill | | 10,946,732 | | 10,946,732 | | 333,742 | | |
| Other intangible assets | | 5,260,729 | | 5,631,816 | | 171,702 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total intangible assets | | 16,207,461 | | 16,578,548 | | 505,444 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other assets: | | | | | | | | |
| Assets held for sale | | 1,259,621 | | - | | - | | |
| Refundable deposits | | 1,128,964 | | 246,373 | | 7,511 | | |
| Deferred charges and other | | 822,125 | | 1,182,672 | | 36,057 | | |
| Deferred tax assets | | 2,095,056 | | 2,518,889 | | 76,795 | | |
| Restricted cash in bank | | 29,200 | | 32,200 | | 981 | | |
| Long-term prepayments for materials | | - | | 1,918,888 | | 58,503 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total other assets | | 5,334,966 | | 5,899,022 | | 179,847 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total assets | | 245,113,991 | | 342,809,278 | | 10,451,502 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-68
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets (continued)
December 31, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars, except for par value)
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | | | | | | | |
| Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
| Short-term borrowings | | 6,183,004 | | - | | - | | |
| Accounts payable | | 27,129,790 | | 48,666,310 | | 1,483,729 | | |
| Payables to related parties | | 750,582 | | 1,853,161 | | 56,499 | | |
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | | 7,131,108 | | 10,921,435 | | 332,970 | | |
| Equipment and construction in progress payable | | 7,165,981 | | 20,014,348 | | 610,193 | | |
| Current installments of long-term borrowings | | 7,084,416 | | 9,832,723 | | 299,778 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total current liabilities | | 55,444,881 | | 91,287,977 | | 2,783,169 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Long-term borrowings: | | | | | | | | |
| Bonds payable, excluding current installments | | 6,000,000 | | 12,000,000 | | 365,854 | | |
| Long-term borrowings, excluding current installments | | 40,334,053 | | 71,940,306 | | 2,193,302 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total long-term borrowings | | 46,334,053 | | 83,940,306 | | 2,559,156 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
| Accrued pension liabilities | | 220,002 | | 199,645 | | 6,087 | | |
| Others | | 429,439 | | 345,151 | | 10,523 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total other liabilities | | 649,441 | | 544,796 | | 16,610 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total liabilities | | 102,428,375 | | 175,773,079 | | 5,358,935 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Minority interest | | - | | 117,305 | | 3,576 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Stockholders’ equity: | | | | | | | | |
| Common stock, NT$10 par value; 5.8 billion and 7 billion shares | | | | | | | | |
| authorized; 4,958,041 thousand and 5,830,547 thousand | | | | | | | | |
| shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2004 and | | | | | | | | |
| 2005, respectively | | 49,580,409 | | 58,305,471 | | 1,777,606 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Additional paid-in capital | | 87,539,711 | | 123,419,731 | | 3,762,796 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Retained earnings (accumulated deficit): | | | | | | | | |
| Legal reserve | | 2,168,260 | | 4,964,545 | | 151,358 | | |
| Special reserve | | - | | 201,809 | | 6,153 | | |
| Unappropriated retained earnings (deficit) | | 3,800,061 | | (19,898,187 | ) | (606,652 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 5,968,321 | | (14,731,833 | ) | (449,141 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net | | (151,844 | ) | (74,475 | ) | (2,270 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Treasury stock at cost; 12,000 thousand shares in 2004 | | (250,981 | ) | - | | - | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total stockholders’ equity | | 142,685,616 | | 166,918,894 | | 5,088,991 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Commitments and contingent liabilities | | | | | | | | |
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | | 245,113,991 | | 342,809,278 | | 10,451,502 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-69
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Income
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars, except for per share data)
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| Net sales: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Related parties | | 28,794,083 | | 45,081,777 | | 40,999,123 | | 1,249,973 | | |
| Third parties | | 76,066,559 | | 123,029,792 | | 176,389,265 | | 5,377,722 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 104,860,642 | | 168,111,569 | | 217,388,388 | | 6,627,695 | | |
| Cost of goods sold | | 84,940,895 | | 135,255,952 | | 195,261,896 | | 5,953,107 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Gross profit | | 19,919,747 | | 32,855,617 | | 22,126,492 | | 674,588 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Operating expenses: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Selling | | 1,288,314 | | 2,093,189 | | 2,899,852 | | 88,410 | | |
| General and administrative | | 2,813,857 | | 6,232,833 | | 5,279,891 | | 160,972 | | |
| Research and development | | 2,479,652 | | 4,360,773 | | 4,462,935 | | 136,065 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 6,581,823 | | 12,686,795 | | 12,642,678 | | 385,447 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total operating income | | 13,337,924 | | 20,168,822 | | 9,483,814 | | 289,141 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Non-operating income and gains: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Interest income | | 161,121 | | 174,898 | | 225,062 | | 6,862 | | |
| Investment gain recognized by equity method | | | | | | | | | | |
| investment, net | | - | | 279,700 | | - | | - | | |
| Gain on sale of investments, net | | - | | 7,572 | | 83,569 | | 2,548 | | |
| Foreign currency exchange gain, net | | 61,785 | | 85,132 | | 645,572 | | 19,682 | | |
| Other income | | 181,055 | | 166,897 | | 212,255 | | 6,471 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 403,961 | | 714,199 | | 1,166,458 | | 35,563 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Non-operating expenses and losses: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Interest expense | | 801,060 | | 783,914 | | 1,311,683 | | 39,990 | | |
| Investment loss recognized by equity method | | | | | | | | | | |
| investment, net | | 177,825 | | - | | 377,367 | | 11,505 | | |
| Impairment loss on security available-for-sale | | - | | 922,901 | | - | | - | | |
| Other and derivative loss | | 277,688 | | 600,238 | | 124,133 | | 3,785 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 1,256,573 | | 2,307,053 | | 1,813,183 | | 55,280 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Income before income tax, minority interest and extraordinary item | | 12,485,312 | | 18,575,968 | | 8,837,089 | | 269,424 | | |
| Income tax benefit (expense) | | 3,230,114 | | (463,420 | ) | (473,429 | ) | (14,434 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Income before minority interest and extraordinary item | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,363,660 | | 254,990 | | |
| Minority interest in loss | | - | | - | | (5,852 | ) | (178 | ) | |
| Income before extraordinary item | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,369,512 | | 255,168 | | |
| Extraordinary item – equity portion of investee | | | | | | | | | | |
| extraordinary gain | | - | | - | | 308,702 | | 9,411 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,678,214 | | 264,579 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Earnings per share – Basic: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Income before extraordinary item | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.50 | | 0.05 | | |
| Extraordinary item | | - | | - | | 0.05 | | 0.00 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.55 | | 0.05 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Earnings per share – Diluted: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Income before extraordinary item | | 3.18 | | 3.49 | | 1.50 | | 0.05 | | |
| Extraordinary item | | - | | - | | 0.05 | | 0.00 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income | | 3.18 | | 3.49 | | 1.55 | | 0.05 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding (in thousands): | | | | | | | | | | |
| Basic | | 4,884,435 | | 5,194,356 | | 5,595,014 | | 5,595,014 | | |
| Diluted | | 4,942,700 | | 5,194,356 | | 5,595,014 | | 5,595,014 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cash dividends declared per common share(in dollars) | | 0.50 | | 1.20 | | - | | - | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
F-70
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars)
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net income | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,678,214 | | 264,579 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before tax: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Unrealized holding gains (loss) on securities | | | | | | | | | | |
| available-for-sale | | 577,780 | | 578,620 | | (208,705 | ) | (6,363 | ) | |
| Foreign currency cumulative translation | | | | | | | | | | |
| adjustment | | (16,721 | ) | (291,708 | ) | 372,700 | | 11,363 | | |
| Reclassification adjustments for securities sold | | 43,644 | | (3,625 | ) | - | | - | | |
| Amortization of fair value adjustment of interest | | | | | | | | | | |
| rate swap | | 13,889 | | 4,166 | | - | | - | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income before income taxes | | 618,592 | | 287,453 | | 163,995 | | 5,000 | | |
| Income tax expense (benefit) | | 13,107 | | (65,917 | ) | 86,626 | | 2,641 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income | | 605,485 | | 353,370 | | 77,369 | | 2,359 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Comprehensive income | | 16,320,911 | | 18,465,918 | | 8,755,583 | | 266,938 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
F-71
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars, US dollars and shares)
| | | | Capital Stock | | Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| |
| | | | | | | |
| | Common shares | | Common stock | | Certificates exchange- able for common stock | | Additional paid-in capital | | Legal reserve | | Special reserve | | Unapproap- riated earnings (accumulated deficits), net | | Accumulated other comprehensive loss | | Treasury stock | | Total | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2002 | | 4,024,194 | | 40,241,945 | | 1,012 | | 52,351,313 | | - | | - | | (708,475 | ) | (1,110,699 | ) | (182,849 | ) | 90,592,247 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 602,267 | | - | | (602,267 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (2,006,917 | ) | - | | - | | (2,006,917 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends | | 200,692 | | 2,006,917 | | - | | 2,087,193 | | - | | - | | (4,094,110 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 43,363 | | 433,632 | | - | | 450,977 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 884,609 | |
Net income | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,715,426 | | - | | - | | 15,715,426 | |
Purchase of treasury stock | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (68,132 | ) | (68,132 | ) |
Other comprehensive income, net of tax | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 605,485 | | - | | 605,485 | |
Convertible bonds converted to common stock | | 83,988 | | 839,878 | | (1,012 | ) | 417,295 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 1,256,161 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2003 | | 4,352,237 | | 43,522,372 | | - | | 55,306,778 | | 602,267 | | - | | 8,303,657 | | (505,214 | ) | (250,981 | ) | 106,978,879 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 1,565,993 | | - | | (1,565,993 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | (5,208,285 | ) | - | | - | | (5,208,285 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends | | 217,012 | | 2,170,119 | | - | | 13,671,747 | | - | | - | | (15,841,866 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 88,792 | | 887,918 | | - | | 5,593,883 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 6,481,801 | |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | 300,000 | | 3,000,000 | | - | | 12,967,194 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,967,194 | |
Effect of disproportionate participation in | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
investee’s capital increase | | - | | - | | - | | 109 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 109 | |
Net income | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 18,112,548 | | - | | - | | 18,112,548 | |
Other comprehensive income, net of tax | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 353,370 | | - | | 353,370 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2004 | | 4,958,041 | | 49,580,409 | | - | | 87,539,711 | | 2,168,260 | | - | | 3,800,061 | | (151,844 | ) | (250,981 | ) | 142,685,616 | |
Appropriation for legal reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 2,796,285 | | | | (2,796,285 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Appropriation for special reserve | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 201,809 | | (201,809 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Cash dividends | | - | | - | | - | | | | - | | - | | (5,935,249 | ) | - | | | | (5,935,249 | ) |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends | | 445,144 | | 4,451,437 | | - | | 18,918,606 | | - | | - | | (23,370,043 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Issuance of employee stock bonus | | 97,363 | | 973,625 | | - | | 4,137,909 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 5,111,534 | |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | 330,000 | | 3,300,000 | | - | | 12,294,150 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 15,594,150 | |
Issuance of treasury stock to employees | | - | | - | | - | | 431,160 | | - | | - | | (73,076 | ) | - | | 250,981 | | 609,065 | |
Effect of disproportionate participation in | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
investee’s capital increase | | - | | - | | - | | 98,195 | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 98,195 | |
Net income | | - | | - | | - | | | | - | | - | | 8,678,214 | | - | | - | | 8,678,214 | |
Other comprehensive income, net of tax | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | - | | 77,369 | | - | | 77,369 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2005 | | 5,830,548 | | 58,305,471 | | - | | 123,419,731 | | 4,964,545 | | 201,809 | | (19,898,187 | ) | (74,475 | ) | - | | 166,918,894 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Balance at December 31, 2005 (in US$) | | 5,830,548 | | 1,777,606 | | - | | 3,762,796 | | 151,358 | | 6,153 | | (606,652 | ) | (2,270 | ) | - | | 5,088,991 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F-72
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005
(Expressed in thousands of New Taiwan dollars and US dollars)
| | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | |
Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Net income | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,678,214 | | 264,579 | |
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation | | 15,028,830 | | 23,965,649 | | 34,180,065 | | 1,042,075 | |
Amortization of intangible assets, deferred charges and discounts | | 2,340,998 | | 2,392,388 | | 1,887,032 | | 57,532 | |
Provision for inventory devaluation | | 290,241 | | 588,428 | | 613,105 | | 18,692 | |
Investment loss (gain) | | 177,825 | | (279,700 | ) | 106,913 | | 3,260 | |
Dividend income | | - | | - | | 206,921 | | 6,309 | |
Unrealized exchange loss (gain), net | | (70,837 | ) | 4,046 | | (391,789 | ) | (11,945 | ) |
Loss (gain) on sale of investments and property, plant and equipment | | 168,637 | | 26,842 | | (99,572 | ) | (3,036 | ) |
Non-cash compensation – employee bonuses | | 1,719,431 | | 5,593,883 | | 4,137,909 | | 126,156 | |
Net change in fair value of derivative instruments | | (22,270 | ) | 249,054 | | 389 | | 12 | |
Other than temporary loss on long-term equity investment | | - | | 922,900 | | 13,530 | | 413 | |
Minority interest | | - | | - | | (5,852 | ) | (178 | ) |
Decrease (increase) in notes and accounts receivable – related parties | | (1,876,237 | ) | 102,282 | | (2,346,442 | ) | (71,538 | ) |
Increase in notes and accounts receivable – third parties | | (5,017,969 | ) | (4,643,786 | ) | (19,753,632 | ) | (602,245 | ) |
Increase in inventories | | (1,770,744 | ) | (6,517,288 | ) | (3,895,603 | ) | (118,768 | ) |
Decrease (increase) in prepayments and other current assets | | 662,702 | | (179,272 | ) | (1,504,521 | ) | (45,870 | ) |
Decrease (increase) in deferred tax assets, net | | (3,230,114 | ) | 109,014 | | (961,680 | ) | (29,320 | ) |
Increase in long-term prepayments for materials | | - | | - | | (1,918,888 | ) | (58,503 | ) |
Increase (decrease) in notes and accounts payable – related parties | | 458,426 | | (268,449 | ) | 1,102,579 | | 33,615 | |
Increase in notes and accounts payable – third parties | | 10,954,569 | | 5,295,077 | | 22,183,375 | | 676,322 | |
Increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities | | 1,399,103 | | 3,270,795 | | 4,763,950 | | 145,243 | |
Increase (decrease) in accrued pension liabilities and others | | 59,252 | | 199,345 | | (44,089 | ) | (1,344 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | 36,987,269 | | 48,943,756 | | 46,951,914 | | 1,431,461 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase of securities available for sale | | (7,801,640 | ) | (4,339,254 | ) | - | | - | |
Proceeds from disposal of securities available for sale | | 8,775,642 | | 4,057,400 | | 1,000,000 | | 30,488 | |
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment | | (39,300,566 | ) | (82,011,081 | ) | (80,800,958 | ) | (2,463,444 | ) |
Increase in long-term equity investments | | (817,013 | ) | (5,385,465 | ) | (266,072 | ) | (8,112 | ) |
Proceeds from disposal of investments | | 10,954 | | 230,736 | | 339,142 | | 10,340 | |
Proceeds from long-term investment returned | | - | | - | | 21,284 | | 649 | |
Increase in intangible assets and deferred charges | | (1,092,946 | ) | (579,267 | ) | (2,601,042 | ) | (79,300 | ) |
Increase in refundable deposits | | (744,217 | ) | (650,359 | ) | (438,395 | ) | (13,366 | ) |
Decrease in refundable deposits | | 607,419 | | 676,320 | | 1,320,986 | | 40,274 | |
Decrease in restricted cash in bank | | 23,000 | | - | | (3,000 | ) | (92 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash used in investing activities | | (40,339,367 | ) | (88,000,970 | ) | (81,428,055 | ) | (2,482,563 | ) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings | | (469,649 | ) | 5,882,209 | | (6,183,004 | ) | (188,506 | ) |
Increase (decrease) in guarantee deposits | | (21,980 | ) | 1,455 | | 3,729 | | 114 | |
Repayment of long-term borrowings and bonds payable | | (10,792,110 | ) | (6,892,110 | ) | (7,472,752 | ) | (227,828 | ) |
Proceeds from long-term borrowings | | 8,740,405 | | 22,315,772 | | 41,468,013 | | 1,264,269 | |
Proceeds from issuance of bonds | | - | | 6,000,000 | | 6,000,000 | | 182,927 | |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | | - | | 15,967,192 | | 15,594,150 | | 475,431 | |
Cash dividends paid | | (2,006,917 | ) | (5,208,285 | ) | (5,935,249 | ) | (180,953 | ) |
Purchase of treasury stock | | (68,132 | ) | - | | - | | - | |
Proceeds from disposal of treasury stock | | - | | - | | 177,905 | | 5,424 | |
Proceeds from issuance of subsidiary shares to minority interests | | - | | - | | 131,087 | | 3,996 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | (4,618,383 | ) | 38,066,233 | | 43,783,879 | | 1,334,874 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Effect of exchange rate change on cash | | (24,631 | ) | (173,438 | ) | 157,864 | | 4,813 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | | (7,995,112 | ) | (1,164,419 | ) | 9,465,602 | | 288,585 | |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year | | 25,957,194 | | 17,962,082 | | 16,797,663 | | 512,124 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | | 17,962,082 | | 16,797,663 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: | | | | | | | | | |
Cash paid for interest expenses | | 823,773 | | 771,423 | | 1,190,438 | | 36,294 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Cash paid (received) for income taxes | | (15,581 | ) | 14,189 | | 607,511 | | 18,522 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Non-cash investing and financing activities: | | | | | | | | | |
Convertible bonds converted to common stock | | 1,256,161 | | - | | - | | - | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F-73
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (s) | Additional US GAAP Disclosure |
|
| | 1. | Securities available for sale |
|
| | | The Company holds marketable equity securities that are classified as available-for-sale securities. Information on available-for-sale securities held at each balance sheet date is as follows: |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Cost | | Fair value | | Total unrealized gains | | Total unrealized losses | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | | | (in thousands) | | | | |
| Current assets: | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of December 31, 2004 | | 2,618,209 | | 2,676,206 | | 57,997 | | - | | |
| As of December 31, 2005 | | 1,618,209 | | 1,551,696 | | 46,532 | | (113,045 | ) | |
| Long-term investments: | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of December 31, 2004 | | 10,000 | | 13,681 | | 3,681 | | - | | |
| As of December 31, 2005 | | 10,000 | | 19,861 | | 9,861 | | - | | |
| Under ROC GAAP, fair value is determined by the average price for one month before the balance sheet date; however, under US GAAP, fair value is determined by the price on the balance sheet date. The non-current available for sale securities are included in other long-term investments in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The estimated fair value and gross unrealized losses of one of the Company’s available-for-sale securities at December 31, 2004, all of which have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for twelve months or longer, amounted to NT$1,219,694 thousand and NT$(922,901) thousand, respectively. Such marketable securities comprised an investment in a Taiwanese global semiconductor foundry company. The cause of the impairment relating to this investment was directly related to the global downturn in the foundry business cycle that occurred in 2001, and continued through to 2004. As of December 31, 2004, the Company determined that the impairment was other than temporary based on its assessment of the characteristics of the investment, including the historical business cycles that impacted the valuations of businesses in the semiconductor industry. Therefore, the Company wrote off NT$922,901 thousand to current operations, representing the difference between the cost and fair value at balance sheet date. Information on sales of available-for-sale equity securities for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005 are as follows. The costs of the securities sold were determined on a weighted average basis. |
F-74
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | Proceeds from sales | | Gross realized gains | | Gross realized losses | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| For the year ended December 31, 2003 | | 8,775,642 | | 37,439 | | - | | |
| For the year ended December 31, 2004 | | 4,057,400 | | 5,131 | | - | | |
| For the year ended December 31, 2005 | | 1,000,000 | | - | | - | | |
| 2. | Allowance for doubtful accounts, and sales returns and discounts |
|
| | An analysis of the allowance for doubtful accounts, and sales returns and discounts is as follows: |
|
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Allowance for doubtful accounts, and | | | | | | | | | | |
| sales returns and discounts: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Balance at beginning of year | | 131,293 | | 126,841 | | 788,812 | | 24,049 | | |
| Provision charged to operations | | 18,234 | | 705,549 | | 338,944 | | 10,334 | | |
| Write-offs | | (22,686 | ) | (43,578 | ) | (622,248 | ) | (18,971 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Balance at end of year | | 126,841 | | 788,812 | | 505,508 | | 15,412 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | Of the provision charged to operations, NT$41,698 thousand, NT$9,221 thousand, and NT$0 was charged to general and administrative expenses during the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. The remaining amounts were recorded as an adjustment of revenue. |
|
| 3. | Pension Related Benefits |
|
| | The Company has a defined benefit pension plan covering full-time employees of AUO in the Republic of China who joined the Company before July 1, 2005 and elected to participate in the plan. |
|
| | One of the principal assumptions used to calculate net periodic pension cost is the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets may result in recognized returns that are greater or less than the actual returns on those plan assets in any given year. Over time, however, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is designed to approximate the actual long-term returns. |
|
F-75
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension plans reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed-income debt instruments on December 31 of each year. The rate of increase in compensation is another significant assumption used for pension accounting and is determined by the Company based upon annual review. Total expense for the Company’s defined benefit pension plan amounted to NT$101,010 thousand in 2003, NT$136,123 thousand in 2004 and NT$76,136 (US$2,321) thousand in 2005. The Company uses a measurement date of December 31 for its plan. |
| | |
| (i) | Obligation and funded status: |
| | |
| | The following table sets forth the change in benefit obligations for our pension plan: |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year | | 434,667 | | 486,441 | | 14,830 | | |
| Service cost | | 127,467 | | 69,596 | | 2,122 | | |
| Interest cost | | 15,213 | | 17,835 | | 544 | | |
| Actuarial gain | | (90,906 | ) | (8,380 | ) | (255 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Projected benefit obligation at end of year | | 486,441 | | 565,492 | | 17,241 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| The accumulated benefit obligation for our pension plan was NT$225,938 thousand and NT$307,153 thousand at December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively. The following table sets forth the change in the fair value of plan assets for our pension plan: |
| |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year | | 218,942 | | 299,030 | | 9,117 | | |
| Actual return on plan assets | | - | | 2,956 | | 90 | | |
| Actual contribution | | 80,088 | | 96,492 | | 2,942 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Fair value of plan assets at end of year | | 299,030 | | 398,478 | | 12,149 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-76
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| Plan assets only contain a Pension Fund (the “Fund”) denominated solely in cash, as mandated by ROC Labor Standards Law. The Company contributes an amount equal to 2% of salaries paid every month to the Fund (required by law). The Fund is administered by a pension fund monitoring committee (the “Committee”) and is deposited in the Committee’s name in the Central Trust of China. Additional contributions may be required in the future in order to provide for unfunded obligations. The pension amounts recognized in our balance sheets are as follows: |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Funded status – plan assets less than | | | | | | | | |
| benefit obligations | | (187,411 | ) | (167,014 | ) | (5,092 | ) | |
| Unrecognized transition obligation | | 6,418 | | 5,946 | | 181 | | |
| Unrecognized gain | | (39,009 | ) | (38,577 | ) | (1,176 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Accrued liability | | (220,002 | ) | (199,645 | ) | (6,087 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Accrued liability at beginning of year | | (163,967 | ) | (220,002 | ) | (6,708 | ) | |
| Net periodic pension cost | | (136,123 | ) | (76,136 | ) | (2,321 | ) | |
| Actual contribution | | 80,088 | | 96,493 | | 2,942 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Accrued liability at end of year | | (220,002 | ) | (199,645 | ) | (6,087 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-77
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (ii) | Components of net periodic benefit cost: |
|
| | Net periodic benefit cost for our pension plan consists of the following: |
|
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Service cost | | 96,330 | | 127,467 | | 69,596 | | 2,122 | | |
| Interest cost | | 11,203 | | 15,213 | | 17,835 | | 544 | | |
| Expected return on plan assets | | (6,995 | ) | (7,571 | ) | (11,322 | ) | (345 | ) | |
| Amortization of net transition cost | | 472 | | 472 | | 472 | | 14 | | |
| Recognized net actuarial loss (gain) | | - | | 542 | | (445 | ) | (14 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net periodic benefit cost | | 101,010 | | 136,123 | | 76,136 | | 2,321 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| (iii) | Assumptions: |
|
| | The weighted-average assumptions used in computing the benefit obligation are as follows: |
|
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Discount rate | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | |
| Rate of increase in compensation levels | | 5.0% | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| The weighted-average assumptions used in computing net periodic benefit cost are as follows: |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Discount rate | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | |
| Rate of increase in compensation levels | | 5.0% | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | |
| Expected long-term rate of return on planassets | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | 3.5% | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| According to applicable regulations in the ROC, the minimum return on the plan assets should not be lower than the market interest rate on two-year time deposits. The return on plan assets has exceeded the minimum amount for all periods presented. |
F-78
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| (iv) | Contributions: |
|
| | The Company contributed NT$96,493 thousand to the pension plan in 2005, and anticipates contributing up to an additional NT$90,000 thousand to this plan in 2006. |
|
| (v) | Expected benefit payment: |
|
| | The benefits expected to be paid in each of the next five fiscal years, and in the aggregate for the five fiscal years thereafter are as follows: |
| Year | Retirement benefit payment | |
|
|
| |
| | (NT$ thousand) | |
| | | |
| 2006 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4,830 | |
| 2008 | 2,620 | |
| 2009 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3,958 | |
| 2011~2015 | 157,127 | |
| 4. | Income taxes |
|
| | (i) | The components of provision for income tax expense (benefit) are summarized as follows: |
|
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Current income tax expense | | - | | 355,761 | | 1,521,732 | | 46,394 | | |
| Deferred income tax expense | | | | | | | | | | |
| (benefit) | | (3,230,114 | ) | 107,659 | | (1,048,303 | ) | (31,960 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Income tax expense (benefit) | | (3,230,114 | ) | 463,420 | | 473,429 | | 14,434 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Substantially all of the income before income tax and income tax expense is from domestic sources. |
F-79
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| The differences between income tax expense (benefit) based on the statutory undistributed income tax rate of 32.5% and the income tax expense (benefit) as reported under US GAAP for 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, are summarized as follows: |
| |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Expected income tax expense | | 4,057,726 | | 6,037,190 | | 2,974,284 | | 90,679 | | |
| Investment tax credits | | (4,655,687 | ) | (7,144,655 | ) | (5,051,650 | ) | (154,014 | ) | |
| Change in valuation allowance | | (1,776,796 | ) | 840,313 | | 1,462,798 | | 44,598 | | |
| Tax exemption | | (1,417,973 | ) | (1,851,314 | ) | (623,963 | ) | (19,023 | ) | |
| Employee stock bonus | | 558,815 | | 2,345,392 | | 1,756,201 | | 53,543 | | |
| Impairment loss on available for | | | | | | | | | | |
| sale securities | | - | | 299,943 | | - | | - | | |
| Other | | 3,801 | | (63,449 | ) | (44,241 | ) | (1,349 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Income tax expense (benefit) | | (3,230,114 | ) | 463,420 | | 473,429 | | 14,434 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | |
| (ii) | The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are summarized as follows: |
| | |
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Deferred tax assets: | | | | | | | | |
| Inventories | | 293,368 | | 384,799 | | 11,731 | | |
| Unrealized loss and expenses | | 148,853 | | 357,874 | | 10,910 | | |
| Other current liabilities | | 211,259 | | 1,195,358 | | 36,444 | | |
| Long-term investment – equity method | | 156,836 | | - | | - | | |
| Investment tax credits | | 9,718,204 | | 11,180,324 | | 340,864 | | |
| Net operating loss carryforwards | | 777,968 | | 15,072 | | 460 | | |
| Other | | 617,464 | | 256,699 | | 7,826 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Gross deferred tax assets | | 11,923,952 | | 13,390,126 | | 408,235 | | |
| Valuation allowance | | (6,279,952 | ) | (7,742,750 | ) | (236,059 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net deferred tax assets | | 5,644,000 | | 5,647,376 | | 172,176 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-80
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| Deferred tax liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
| Property, plant & equipment | | (1,307,629 | ) | (483,027 | ) | (14,726 | ) | |
| Intangible assets resulting from | | | | | | | | |
| combination with Unipac | | (1,364,344 | ) | (1,023,258 | ) | (31,197 | ) | |
| Long-term investment – equity method | | - | | (127,465 | ) | (3,886 | ) | |
| Others | | (1,664 | ) | (81,583 | ) | (2,488 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total deferred tax liabilities | | (2,673,637 | ) | (1,715,333 | ) | (52,297 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net deferred tax assets | | 2,970,363 | | 3,932,043 | | 119,879 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets in accordance with US GAAP, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible and net operating losses and investment tax credits utilized. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, management believes it is more likely than not that the Company will realize the benefits of these deductible differences, net operating losses and investment tax credits, net of the existing valuation allowance at December 31, 2005. The estimate of future taxable income required to realize net deferred tax assets at December 31, 2005, is approximately NT$12,098,594 thousand. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced. The valuation allowance at December 31, 2005 represents the amount of tax benefits related to investment tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards, which management determined are not more likely than not to be realized due, in part, to projections of future taxable income. The valuation allowance was NT$6,495,160 thousand as of January 1, 2003. During the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the valuation allowance increased (decreased) by NT$(1,055,521) thousand, NT$840,313 thousand and NT$1,462,798 thousand, respectively. |
F-81
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| In 2003, 2004 and 2005, the total income taxes are allocated as follows: |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Income tax benefit (expense) | | 3,230,114 | | (463,420 | ) | (259,344 | ) | (7,907 | ) | |
| Other comprehensive income | | (13,107 | ) | 65,917 | | (86,623 | ) | (2,641 | ) | |
| Adjustment to goodwill | | 652,960 | | - | | - | | - | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total income taxes | | 3,869,967 | | (397,503 | ) | (345,967 | ) | (10,548 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| 5. | Non-derivative financial instruments |
|
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the estimated fair value and carrying amounts of non- derivative financial instruments were as follows: |
|
| | | December 31, 2004 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Fair value | | Carrying amount | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Assets: | | | | | | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | | 16,797,663 | | 16,797,663 | | |
| Notes and accounts receivable | | 15,297,617 | | 15,297,617 | | |
| Receivables from related parties | | 5,420,358 | | 5,420,358 | | |
| Other financial assets – current | | 608,386 | | 608,386 | | |
| Securities available for sale – current | | 2,676,206 | | 2,676,206 | | |
| Long-term investments – other | | | | | | |
| Fair value (available) | | 14,298 | | 14,298 | | |
| Fair value (not available) | | - | | 398,406 | | |
| Long-term investments – equity method | | | | | | |
| Fair value (available) | | 4,620,900 | | 4,098,982 | | |
| Fair value (not available) | | - | | 1,620,084 | | |
| Restricted cash in bank | | 29,200 | | 29,200 | | |
| Liabilities: | | | | | | |
| Short-term borrowings | | 6,183,004 | | 6,183,004 | | |
| Accounts payable | | 27,129,790 | | 27,129,790 | | |
| Payables to related parties | | 750,582 | | 750,582 | | |
| Equipment and construction in process payable | | 7,165,981 | | 7,165,981 | | |
| Bonds payable | | 5,784,437 | | 6,000,000 | | |
| Long-term borrowings, including current installments | | 47,418,469 | | 47,418,469 | | |
F-82
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | December 31, 2005 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Fair value | | Carrying amount | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | US$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Assets: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | | 26,263,265 | | 800,709 | | |
| Notes and accounts receivable | | 34,848,588 | | 1,062,457 | | 34,848,588 | | 1,062,457 | | |
| Receivables from related parties | | 7,766,800 | | 236,793 | | 7,766,800 | | 236,793 | | |
| Other financial assets – current | | 1,074,754 | | 32,767 | | 1,074,754 | | 32,767 | | |
| Securities available for sale –current | | 1,551,696 | | 47,308 | | 1,551,696 | | 47,308 | | |
| Long-term investments – other | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fair value (available) | | 19,862 | | 606 | | 19,862 | | 606 | | |
| Fair value (not available) | | - | | - | | 63,538 | | 1,937 | | |
| Long-term investments – equity method | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fair value (available) | | 6,348,344 | | 193,547 | | 4,189,221 | | 127,720 | | |
| Fair value (not available) | | - | | - | | 1,615,299 | | 49,247 | | |
| Restricted cash in bank | | 32,200 | | 982 | | 32,200 | | 982 | | |
| Liabilities: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Accounts payable | | 48,666,310 | | 1,483,729 | | 48,666,310 | | 1,483,729 | | |
| Payables to related parties | | 1,853,161 | | 56,499 | | 1,853,161 | | 56,499 | | |
| Equipment and construction in process | | | | | | | | | | |
| payable | | 20,014,348 | | 610,193 | | 20,014,348 | | 610,193 | | |
| Bonds payable | | 11,951,724 | | 364,382 | | 12,000,000 | | 365,854 | | |
| Long-term borrowing, including current | | | | | | | | | | |
| installments | | 81,773,029 | | 2,493,080 | | 81,773,029 | | 2,493,080 | | |
F-83
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 6. | Property, plant and equipment |
|
| | As of December 31, 2004 and 2005, the components of property, plant and equipment are summarized as follows: |
|
| | | December 31, 2004 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Cost | | Accumulated depreciation | | Carrying amount | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Land | | 159,996 | | - | | 159,996 | | |
| Buildings | | 16,554,160 | | (2,534,852 | ) | 14,019,308 | | |
| Machinery and equipment | | 140,584,004 | | (50,765,860 | ) | 89,818,144 | | |
| Other equipment | | 9,736,977 | | (5,648,205 | ) | 4,088,772 | | |
| Construction in progress | | 13,061,619 | | - | | 13,061,619 | | |
| Prepayments for purchases of land and equipment | | 38,037,431 | | - | | 38,037,431 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 218,134,187 | | (58,948,917 | ) | 159,185,270 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | December 31, 2005 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Cost | | Accumulated depreciation | | Carrying amount | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Land | | 3,504,258 | | - | | 3,504,258 | | |
| Buildings | | 37,962,042 | | (4,092,454 | ) | 33,869,588 | | |
| Machinery and equipment | | 239,565,644 | | (79,006,735 | ) | 160,558,909 | | |
| Other equipment | | 13,661,181 | | (7,881,070 | ) | 5,780,111 | | |
| Construction in progress | | 1,704,372 | | - | | 1,704,372 | | |
| Prepayments for purchases of land and equipment | | 15,556,729 | | - | | 15,556,729 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 311,954,226 | | (90,980,259 | ) | 220,973,967 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-84
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 7. | Assets held for sale |
|
| | In July 2002, the operations of the Company’s Chunan fab were moved to other fabs, and the Company rented the fab to a third party. In June 2003, the contract was terminated. In December 2003, the Company decided to dispose of Chunan fab and entered into an agreement with a real estate agent to sell the property. The Company reclassified it as assets held for sale in December 2003. Despite that the management has a firm commitment and an active plan to sell the property within the current period, the management is unwilling to sell the property below reasonable market price and therefore lack the confidence to complete the sale by June 2006. Hence, considering that assets have been included in assets held-for-sale for the last two years and the Company was unable to sell them within the initial planned time frame of one year, the management has decided to transfer the assets back to held and use at December 31, 2005 and measured the assets in accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”. |
|
| | As of December 31, 2004, the carrying amounts of the major classes of assets classified as held for sale are as follows: |
|
| December 31, 2004 |
|
|
| NT$ |
| (in thousands) |
Chunan fab: | |
Land | 283,837 |
Building | 633,605 |
Machinery and equipment | 342,179 |
|
|
| 1,259,621 |
|
|
| |
| The impairment loss recognized in 2004 and 2005 amounted to NT$222,868 thousand and NT$64,805 thousand, respectively. The reason for such impairments is mainly due to poor market situation of the real estate market in Chunan, Taiwan. |
F-85
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | |
| 8. | The changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows: |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Derivative and hedging activities – interest rate Swap | | Unrealized gains (losses) on securities | | Foreign currency translation Adjustment | | Accumulated other comprehensive loss | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Balance at December 31, 2002 | | (12,186 | ) | (1,125,530 | ) | 27,017 | | (1,110,699 | ) | |
| Net current period change | | - | | 580,603 | | (16,721 | ) | 563,882 | | |
| Reclassification adjustments for gains (losses) | | | | | | | | | | |
| reclassified into income | | 9,376 | | 32,227 | | - | | 41,603 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Balance at December 31, 2003 | | (2,810 | ) | (512,700 | ) | 10,296 | | (505,214 | ) | |
| Net current period change | | - | | 578,620 | | (224,435 | ) | 354,185 | | |
| Reclassification adjustments for gains (losses) | | | | | | | | | | |
| reclassified into income | | 2,810 | | (3,625 | ) | - | | (815 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Balance at December 31, 2004 | | - | | 62,295 | | (214,139 | ) | (151,844 | ) | |
| Net current period change | | - | | (208,705 | ) | 286,074 | | 77,369 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Balance at December 31, 2005 | | - | | (146,410 | ) | 71,935 | | (74,475 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| The following tables set forth the related income tax effects allocated to each component of other comprehensive income: |
| | | | | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, 2003 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Before-tax amount | | Tax (expense) or benefit | | Net-of-tax amount | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Derivative and hedging activates – interest rate swap: | | | | | | | | |
| Reclassification adjustment for gains realized in income | | 13,889 | | (4,513 | ) | 9,376 | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) on securities: | | | | | | | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period | | 577,780 | | 2,823 | | 580,603 | | |
| Reclassification adjustment for gains realized in income | | 43,644 | | (11,417 | ) | 32,227 | | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | | (16,721 | ) | - | | (16,721 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income | | 618,592 | | (13,107 | ) | 605,485 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-86
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | | For the year ended December 31, 2004 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Before-tax amount | | Tax (expense) or benefit | | Net-of-tax amount | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Derivative and hedging activates – interest rate swap: | | | | | | | | |
| Reclassification adjustment for gains realized in income | | 4,166 | | (1,356 | ) | 2,810 | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) on securities: | | | | | | | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period | | 578,620 | | - | | 578,620 | | |
| Reclassification adjustment for gains realized in income | | (3,625 | ) | - | | (3,625 | ) | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | | (291,708 | ) | 67,273 | | (224,435 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income | | 287,453 | | 65,917 | | 353,370 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, 2005 | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | Before-tax amount | | Tax (expense) or benefit | | Net-of-tax amount | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) on securities: | | | | | | | | |
| Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period | | (208,705 | ) | - | | (208,705 | ) | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | | 372,700 | | (86,626 | ) | 286,074 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other comprehensive income | | 163,995 | | (86,626 | ) | 77,369 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| There are no tax effects from realized or unrealized gains (losses) on securities available for sale since capital gains and losses on Republic of China securities are not taxable in Taiwan. |
F-87
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 9. | Product revenue information |
|
| | The Company engages mainly in the research, development, production and sale of TFT-LCDs panels. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the Executive Board, which is comprised of five key personnel in top management. The Executive Board reviews consolidated results of revenue by products, and manufacturing operations when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Company. |
|
| | The revenue for principal products is comprised of the following: |
|
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | | | (in millions) | | | | |
| Panels for Computer Products: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Panels for notebook computers | | 22,010 | | 32,268 | | 33,265 | | 1,014 | | |
| Panels for desktop monitors | | 67,349 | | 99,000 | | 108,623 | | 3,312 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total panels for computer products | | 89,359 | | 131,268 | | 141,888 | | 4,326 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Panels for Consumer Electronics Products | | 11,971 | | 21,044 | | 28,637 | | 873 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Panels for LCD Television | | 2,800 | | 14,586 | | 46,148 | | 1,407 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Other(1) | | 731 | | 1,214 | | 715 | | 22 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| Total | | 104,861 | | 168,112 | | 217,388 | | 6,628 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
| (1) | Includes revenues generated from sales of raw materials and components and other TFT-LCD panel products, and from service charges. |
|
F-88
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 10. | Earnings per common share in 2003, 2004 and 2005 are computed as follows: |
| | |
| | | For the year ended December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | NT$ | | |
| | | (in thousands except for per share data) | | |
| Basic earnings per share: | | | | | | | | |
| Income before extraordinary gain | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,369,512 | | |
| Extraordinary gain | | - | | - | | 308,702 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income | | 15,715,426 | | 18,112,548 | | 8,678,214 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding | | | | | | | | |
| (thousand shares): | | | | | | | | |
| Shares of common stock at the beginning of the | | | | | | | | |
| year | | 4,015,255 | | 4,340,237 | | 4,958,041 | | |
| Issuance of common stock for cash | | - | | 156,667 | | 146,465 | | |
| Issuance of shareholders stock dividends and | | | | | | | | |
| employee stock bonus | | 222,373 | | 268,560 | | 498,760 | | |
| Treasury stock | | (2,926 | ) | - | | (8,252 | ) | |
| Certificates exchangeable for common shares | | 33,044 | | - | | - | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding during | | | | | | | | |
| the year | | 4,267,746 | | 4,765,464 | | 5,595,014 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Basic earnings per share: | | | | | | | | |
| Income before extraordinary item | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.50 | | |
| Extraordinary item | | - | | - | | 0.05 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| Net income | | 3.22 | | 3.49 | | 1.55 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
F-89
(Continued)
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| | For the year ended December 31, 2003 | |
| |
| |
| | NT$ | |
| | (in thousands except for per share data) | |
Diluted earnings per share: | | | |
Net income | | 15,715,426 | |
Effects of potential common shares: | | | |
Adjustment for interest of convertible bonds payable | | 26,735 | |
| |
| |
| | 15,742,161 | |
| |
| |
Weighted average number of shares outstanding | | | |
(thousand shares): | | | |
Shares of common stock at the beginning of the year | | 4,015,255 | |
Potential number of common shares assumed upon | | | |
conversion of convertible bonds | | 50,908 | |
Issuance of common stock for cash | | - | |
Issuance of shareholders stock dividends and | | | |
employee stock bonus | | 222,373 | |
Treasury stock | | (2,926 | ) |
Certificates exchangeable for common shares | | 33,044 | |
| |
| |
Weighted average number of shares outstanding | | | |
during the year | | 4,318,654 | |
| |
| |
Diluted earnings per share | | 3.18 | |
| |
| |
AU OPTRONICS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
| 11. | Other intangible assets |
|
| | The other intangible assets are TFT-LCD panels’ product and process technology license and patent fees. The detail of the other intangible assets is as follows: |
|
| | | December 31, | | |
| | |
| | |
| | | 2004 | | 2005 | | |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Cost | | 14,216,320 | | 16,200,809 | | 493,927 | | |
| Less: cumulative amortization | | (8,955,591 | ) | (10,568,993 | ) | (322,225 | ) | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | 5,260,729 | | 5,631,816 | | 171,702 | | |
| | |
| |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Amortization expense on other intangible assets was NT$2,226,000 thousand, NT$2,579,800 thousand and NT$1,613,402 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. As of December 31, 2005, the Company’s estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years and thereafter is as follows: |
| | | | | |
| Year | | December 31, 2005 | | |
|
| |
|
|
| | |
| | | NT$ | | US$ | | |
| | | (in thousands) | | |
| | | | | | | |
| 2006 | | 1,424,717 | | 43,436 | | |
| 2007 | | 1,264,172 | | 38,542 | | |
| 2008 | | 1,257,833 | | 38,349 | | |
| 2009 | | 206,204 | | 6,287 | | |
| 2010 | | 205,492 | | 6,265 | | |
| 2010 after | | 1,273,398 | | 38,823 | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | 5,631,816 | | 171,702 | | |
| | |
| |
| | |
F-91