Document with hidden data forces issue of official figures before US trade opens
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) inadvertently published its fourth-quarter results yesterday when it sent out a press release containing the numbers 'hidden' within the document.
The press release was sent yesterday just after 6.30pm to announce a conference call with company executives scheduled for this afternoon. But the simple use of the 'track changes' function in Microsoft Word revealed the company's full earnings almost 12 hours - and a full day's trading in the United States - ahead of schedule.
SMIC head of investor relations Jimmy Lai described the incident as an 'unfortunate mishap'.
'It looks like a mistake at our PR consulting company,' he said.
SMIC was expected to release its earnings at 5am in Hong Kong after the market closed in the US. However, following yesterday's slip, Mr Lai said the company would bring the announcement forward and release updated numbers before the start of trading in New York.
A representative from public relations firm PR people Consultancy told the South China Morning Post yesterday she did not know about SMIC's plans for an updated press release and asked for Mr Lai's telephone number. 'Just ignore it. The numbers [in the press invitation] are wrong,' she said.
