Hi-Tech 2 min read
Reuters
Updated On Apr 16, 2026 at 02:39 PM IST
The insatiable demand for high-performance chips required for AI workloads has driven Asia's most valuable company to new heights.TSMC posted a hefty jump to record profit and forecast second-quarter sales would hit a historic high as the world's biggest contract manufacturer of advanced AI chips scrambles to meet relentless hunger for its products.
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The company, a major supplier to Nvidia, noted the world was in the midst of ‌an "AI megatrend", ⁠adding its ⁠capital spending this year would be at the high end of earlier guidance - remarks likely to ease investor concerns about the impact of the Iran war on AI chip demand. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's net profit for January-March surged 58 per cent to T$572.5 billion ($18.2 billion), comfortably beating expectations and marking its eighth straight quarter of double-digit growth.
For the current quarter, it forecast sales between $39 billion and $40.2 ⁠billion. That ‌compares with $30.1 billion in the same period last year and $35.9 billion in the first quarter. "AI demand is extremely robust," CEO CC Wei ⁠said at an analysts call on the results. First-quarter results showed that revenue from advanced 3-nanometre chips now accounts for a quarter of the company's sales, up sharply from just 6 per cent in the third quarter of 2023.
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The insatiable demand for high-performance chips required for AI workloads has driven Asia's most valuable company to new heights. Ahead of the earnings results, TSMC shares closed up 0.2 per cent at a record of T$2,085. Its ‌market capitalisation is now nearly double that of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics at around $1.7 trillion. The war in the Middle East threatens to disrupt the supply of production ⁠materials for semiconductors such as helium and hydrogen, but TSMC said it had safety stock on hand.
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TSMC is investing $165 billion to build chip factories in the US state of Arizona. The company has also revised its plans in Japan and is now set to manufacture 3-nanometre chips there, instead of focusing on more mature nodes. TSMC's Taipei-listed shares have gained 35 per cent so far this year, outperforming the 28 per cent rise for the broader market.
Reuters
Published On Apr 16, 2026 at 02:32 PM IST
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