United Microelectronics (NYSE:UMC) Reaches New 52-Week High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:UMC)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $12.68 and last traded at $12.5110, with a volume of 26892402 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.33.

The semiconductor company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. United Microelectronics had a return on equity of 11.59% and a net margin of 17.60%.The company’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.10 earnings per share.

Key Stories Impacting United Microelectronics

Here are the key news stories impacting United Microelectronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results showed revenue growth and healthy margins: consolidated 4Q25 revenue rose to NT$61.81 billion (up vs. prior quarter and year) and gross margin was 30.7%, signaling underlying demand improvement. UMC Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: UMC reported EPS of $0.13 and revenue of $1.97B for the quarter, slightly beating consensus estimates — a short-term fundamental positive versus expectations. MarketBeat UMC Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s detailed discussion is in the Q4 2025 earnings call transcript; investors may hunt the call for guidance/comments that clarify forward demand and capacity outlook. UMC Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was negative: headlines noted shares “tumbled” after the report despite the revenue beat, suggesting investors were disappointed by other elements (earnings detail, guidance, or tone). UMC shares tumble 10.7% as Q4 earnings miss estimates despite revenue beat
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts moved more pessimistic: BNP Paribas Exane downgraded UMC from “neutral” to “underperform” with an $8.60 price target (material downside to the current price), and JPMorgan reaffirmed an “underweight” stance — both weigh on sentiment and can pressure the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional media coverage framed the quarter as “mixed,” amplifying negative sentiment and likely contributing to selling pressure. United Microelectronics falls amid mixed Q4 results

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on UMC shares. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of United Microelectronics from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $8.60 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of United Microelectronics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of United Microelectronics in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America cut United Microelectronics from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded United Microelectronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.60.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Microelectronics

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UMC. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Microelectronics in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in United Microelectronics by 313.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 4,265 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 3,234 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in United Microelectronics in the 2nd quarter worth about $77,000. MGO One Seven LLC purchased a new stake in United Microelectronics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $77,000. Finally, Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Microelectronics during the third quarter valued at approximately $80,000. 5.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Microelectronics Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $8.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $7.65. The firm has a market cap of $26.54 billion, a PE ratio of 19.57, a P/E/G ratio of 5.88 and a beta of 1.08.

United Microelectronics Company Profile

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) is a Taiwan-based semiconductor foundry that provides wafer fabrication and related manufacturing services to a global customer base. Founded in 1980, the company operates as a pure-play foundry, producing integrated circuits for a range of customers including fabless semiconductor companies and integrated device manufacturers. UMC is publicly listed (NYSE: UMC) and focuses on high-reliability manufacturing rather than branding consumer products.

UMC’s core services encompass wafer fabrication using a portfolio of process technologies, with particular emphasis on mature and specialty nodes that support analog, power-management, radio-frequency (RF), and mixed-signal applications.