Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing reported a record quarterly net profit that handily beat expectations.
TSMC, the world's largest manufacturer of advanced artificial intelligence chips, is set to post a 28% jump in third-quarter profit to reach a record high due to surging demand for AI infrastructure, though U.S. tariffs may complicate its outlook.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited reports earnings on Thursday. The AI craze has reached a new peak, with TSM as one of the primary beneficiaries. The company's dominant market position and wide moat make TSM a stock to own for a long time.
Riding a wave of unprecedented demand for next-gen AI chips, Taiwan Semiconductor is expected to post record Q3 results on Thursday, October 16.
TSM's Q3 revenues are likely to reflect the benefits of surging demand for advanced AI chips, while rising operation costs may have weighed on profitability.
Taiwan Semiconductor ( TSM ) reports September quarter results Thursday morning and as the stock bounces back sharply from Friday's trade war jitters, investors look forward to the continuous good news from the planet's top AI foundry. For instance, Susquehanna raised their price target to $400 from $300 last week after TSM reported a 31.4% increase in September sales (vs.
TSMC remains the world's leading semiconductor foundry, delivering 9 consecutive double-beat quarters with 54% YoY revenue and 71% EPS growth in FQ2 2025, driven by surging AI demand. Despite trading at a premium, valuation appears justified by superior profitability — 59% gross margin, 69% EBITDA margin, and 42% net income margin — all far above industry averages. Strong balance sheet with over $90 billion in cash and positive net interest income positions TSMC to thrive in both high and low-rate environments while maintaining double-digit EPS growth.
AI tailwinds do not show any signs of weakness, as the global AI market is expected to attract $3 trillion in investments in the next few years. TSMC consistently beats earnings expectations, boasts accelerating revenue, and EPS growth, and is rapidly expanding its global foundry market share. AI and data center demand, robust client contracts, and a $55 billion net cash position support TSM's long-term growth and innovation potential.
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM)'s stock fell 6% in a single day, amid market volatility following Trump's 100% tariff threat against China, set to take effect on November 1st. The 100% tariff threat is likely just a bluff, as we saw back in April. It shouldn't largely affect the AI spending in the near term. The July–September revenue report beat estimates, indicating that the upcoming 3Q FY2025 earnings will be robust, but its gross margin may decline further.
I reiterate my strong buy rating on TSMC going into Q3 2025 earnings, citing strong AI/HPC demand as noted by the monthly revenue data, with very tight N3/N5 capacity. N2 remains on track for 2H25. Bigger lift likely from N2P (2H26) and A16 (2H26, first process node with backside power). Near term, 2026 deployments (Vera-Rubin, MI4xx) remain on 3nm. Valuation is still attractive at 20x next year's P/CF and 30x forward P/E (below sector median), with room for multiple expansion as Nvidia/AMD GPU ramps next year.
TSMC surged nearly 40% since June, strongly outperforming the market as investors priced in its advanced-node leadership. FY25 revenue reached NT$2.76 trillion through September, up 36.4% YoY, with Q3 revenue at NT$989.9 billion. Advanced nodes (7nm and below) contributed 74% of wafer sales in Q2-FY25, driving 58.6% gross margins.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company remains a strong buy, with a 32% upside to a $387 price target. TSM's growth is fueled by robust AI-driven chip demand, technological leadership, and upcoming 2nm chip ramp addressing power efficiency bottlenecks. Despite forex and margin headwinds from overseas fabs, TSM continues to deliver strong earnings and revenue growth, consistently beating analyst estimates.