Taiwanese shoemaker Lai Yih-KY posted a sharp jump in second-quarter profit, sending its stock to the daily limit — good news for shareholders after a weak start to the year.

• Second-quarter net profit jumped fivefold from the first quarter and rose from a year earlier.
• The stock hit its daily limit-up in morning trading, with buy orders still stacked up at the ceiling price.
• First-half profit is still down sharply from last year, and margins slipped as well.
• New shoe models are now shipping, and factories are running closer to full capacity again.

Outlook: Analysts expect shipments to steady in the second half, with profits having bottomed out and starting to recover.