Philips announces sale of 887 million shares in TSMC

 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) today announced it has sold approximately 887 million shares of common stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TAIEX: 2330, NYSE: TSM) to long-term financial investors in Taiwan. Through these transactions, Philips has implemented the first step of the multi-phased plan to facilitate an orderly exit from its shareholding in TSMC, which was announced on March 9, 2007.

The sale of these shares, closed today, will provide Philips with proceeds of approximately EUR 1,300 million, and will result in a non-taxable gain of approximately EUR 725 million in Philips’ financial results for the first quarter of 2007.

 

As a result of this transaction, Philips currently holds approximately 3,301 million shares in TSMC, reflecting a lowering of Philips' holding in TSMC from 16.2 percent to 12.8 percent.

For more information, please contact:

Arent Jan Hesselink

Philips Corporate Communications
Tel:  +31 20 59 77415   
Email:  arentjan.hesselink@philips.com


About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 30.3 billion in 2004. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 161,100 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter


About TSMC

TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading process technology and the foundry industry's largest portfolio of process-proven library, IP, design tools and reference flows. The company operates one advanced 300mm wafer fab, five eight-inch fabs and one six-inch wafer fab. TSMC also has substantial capacity commitments at its wholly-owned subsidiary, WaferTech, and its joint venture fab, SSMC. In early 2001, TSMC became the first IC manufacturer to announce a 90-nm technology alignment program with its customers. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC please see www.tsmc.com.


Forward-looking statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items, in particular the outlook paragraph in this report.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, levels of consumer and business spending in major economies, changes in consumer tastes and preferences, changes in law, the performance of the financial markets, pension costs, the levels of marketing and promotional expenditures by Philips and its competitors, raw materials and employee costs, changes in exchange and interest rates, changes in tax rates and future business combinations, acquisitions or dispositions and the rate of technological changes, political and military developments in countries where Philips operates, and industry consolidation.
Statements regarding market share, including as to Philips’ competitive position, contained in this document are based on outside sources such as specialized research institutes, industry and dealer panels in combination with management estimates. Where information is not yet available to Philips, those statements may also be based on estimates and projections prepared by outside sources or management. Rankings are based on sales unless otherwise stated.

 

Use of non-US GAAP information
In presenting and discussing the Philips Group’s financial position, operating results and cash flows, management uses certain non-US GAAP financial measures. These non-US GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation as alternatives to the equivalent US GAAP measure(s) and should be used in conjunction with the most directly comparable US GAAP measure(s). A discussion of the non-US GAAP measures included in this document and a reconciliation of such measures to the most directly comparable US GAAP measure(s) are contained in this document.

 

Use of fair value measurements
In presenting the Philips Group’s financial position, fair values are used for the measurement of various items in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. These fair values are based on market prices, where available, and are obtained from sources that are deemed to be reliable.
Readers are cautioned that these values are subject to changes over time and are only valid at the balance sheet date. When a readily determinable market value does not exist, fair values are estimated using valuation models which we believe are appropriate for their purpose. They require management to make significant assumptions with respect to future developments which are inherently uncertain and may therefore deviate from actual developments. In certain cases, independent valuations are obtained to support management’s determination of fair values.