By Aries Poon 

TAIPEI-- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. posted a record profit in the fourth quarter, making 2014 the company's best year, largely buoyed by computing-chip orders for Apple Inc.'s new iPhones.

TSMC, the world's largest contract chip maker by revenue, said Thursday that net profit for the three months ended Dec. 31 was 79.99 billion New Taiwan dollars (US$2.51 billion), up from NT$44.81 billion a year earlier. Revenue in the fourth quarter rose 53% from a year earlier to NT$222.52 billion, also a record. Earnings for the entire year rose to new high NT$263.90 billion, up 40% from NT$188.15 billion in 2013.

Gross profit margin, a measure of profitability, rose to 49.7% from 44.5% a year earlier.

Write to Aries Poon at aries.poon@wsj.com

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