TSMC's dominance in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, especially in AI accelerators, positions it as a critical player with robust growth prospects and pricing power. The company's strategic partnerships, particularly with Apple and NVIDIA, drive its technological advancements and revenue growth, especially in AI and HPC segments. Despite risks like geopolitical tensions and high capital expenses, TSMC's long-term vision and market leadership make it a compelling investment.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reported robust 4Q24 earnings, with net sales up 37% YoY and gross margins reaching 59%, driven by AI chip demand. TSMC's dominant market position and pricing power in the foundry market make it a top pick for AI investors, with a profit multiple of 22.5x. The company forecasts strong 1Q25 sales growth of 35% YoY, indicating continued robust demand for AI chips and potential margin expansion.
The DeepSeek news sparked unfounded fears of reduced AI hardware spending, ignoring TSMC's critical role in AI infrastructure. 3nm technology accounted for 26% of Q4-24 wafer revenue, reflecting significant adoption and growth. Q4-24 gross margin rose to 59%, operating margin reached 49%, supported by higher capacity utilization and efficiency.
TSMC's Selloff Creates A Buy Opportunity
Artificial intelligence (AI) was the driving force behind many of the stock market's biggest winners in 2024. As big tech companies spend more and more on building out AI data centers and training large language models, several AI infrastructure companies are poised to continue benefiting throughout 2025.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited's Q4 sales grew 37% YoY, driven by high-performance computing, with gross margins expanding from 53% to 59%, and operating income up 63%. Risks include potential reduced demand due to China's DeepSeek AI model and losing high-profile customers, but TSMC's advanced 3nm technology mitigates these risks. TSMC is a strong buy on pull-back, with a $260 price target, offering 17% upside from the latest closing price and significant growth potential.
There are currently 10 public companies in the world boasting a market capitalization over $1 trillion. Among newer entrants into the trillion-dollar club is chip stock Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM -1.22%).
Finding stocks that are among the top investments of the decade isn't easy. Many trends can rise and fall, causing some stocks to falter after a few years.
TSMC's AI and HPC-driven growth has led to the stock solidly beating the market over the last year. After more than tripling in 2024, management forecast revenue from AI accelerators to double in 2025 as the strong surge in AI-related demand continues. Geopolitical risks represent the most significant challenges to TSMC's business.
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM -0.61%) is diversifying its manufacturing base outside of Taiwan, and the changes have consequences for investors.
Following a blowout Q4 net profit on solid AI chip demand, let's look at what makes TSMC a compelling stock to buy.
TSMC (TSM) is at a 52-week high, but can investors hope for more gains in the future? We take a look at the company's fundamentals for clues.