Altek, one of the top four Taiwan-based makers of digital cameras, on March 23 published its 2006 financial report, with its net earnings per share (EPS) of NT$8.66 (US$0.26) the highest annual level on record. Altek plans to distribute a dividend per share of NT$4.5, NT$3.0 in cash and NT$1.5 in stock, for its 2006 operations, according to a decision made by the company's board of directors at a meeting on March 23.

Altek shipped 9.5 million digital cameras in 2006, also the historically highest annual figure. With orders from news clients in Japan, such as Pentax, and China in addition to the two old clients Hewlett-Packard and Kodak, Altek sets a challenging shipment goal of 12 million digital cameras for 2007, the company indicated. The mainstream resolution will shift from 5-6 megapixels in 2006 to 6-8 megapixels in the year, Altek pointed out.

Altek's board of directors also decided to invest US$6 million in AII and Leading Tech, two existing companies in China, to indirectly set up a new subsidiary maker of digital camera components in Kunshan, eastern China.

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