UMC

United Microelectronics Corporation

A maker of the chips that power everyday electronics, Taiwan's United Microelectronics (UMC) runs foundries that manufacture semiconductors for other companies, supplying everything from phones and TVs to cars and networking gear. It began in 1980 as Taiwan's first semiconductor company, spun off from the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute and initially making circuits for electronic watches using RCA technology. Fun twist: the "united" in its name reflected its early days as an all-in-one company that handled design, fabrication, and packaging under one roof before it shifted to a pure-play foundry model in 1995.

ADR representing ordinary shares