Lite-On IT Corp. estimated recently that its pre-tax earnings per share would cross NT$7 this year. The company's first-half earnings before tax deductions were NT$1.3 billion, on revenue of NT$11 billion, equivalent to EPS of NT$4. The company's preliminary estimates shows its July earnings were NT$150 million and its August revenue was NT$2 billion. The company estimated its shipments of CD-RW drivers would exceed 700,000 systems a month next quarter. (NT$34.59 = US$1) Lite-On IT estimated its shipments would top 600,000 drivers in August, making it the world's largest supplier of the wares. It estimated CD-RW drivers would score the largest shipment growth among its various products, and DVD-ROM drivers would overtake CD-ROM machines at its factories in the second half.

The company's preliminary estimate shows that its second-half CD-ROM driver shipments will top 5.38 million systems, its CD-RW driver shipments will amount to 3.45 million systems, its DVD-ROM driver shipments will post 1.16 million systems, and its DVD-player shipments will total 120,000 to 130,000 systems. The company reported that its first-half net margin was about 21 percent. It estimated annual net margin would be around 20 percent, thanks to the heftier royalty it collects on CD-RW drivers than on DVD-ROM drivers.