Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive stance on the analog semiconductor sector, indicating a recovery in the automotive semiconductors market [2][7]. Core Insights - The automotive semiconductor market is projected to experience a revenue decline of -5% YoY in 2025E, an improvement from the previous estimate of -7% YoY, with a subsequent growth of +11.6% in 2026E [4][23]. - Analog revenue growth has returned to positive levels, with Q3'25 showing a 5% YoY increase, and expectations for Q4'25 to grow by 11% YoY [3][4]. - AI is emerging as a growth driver, contributing 5-10% of revenues, with significant increases in AI-related revenues anticipated for major players [5]. Summary by Sections Automotive Semiconductors - The automotive semiconductor revenue is expected to decline by -5% YoY in 2025E, improved from -7% previously, and is projected to grow by +11.6% in 2026E [4][23]. - China’s automotive semiconductor demand is forecasted to grow by 9% YoY in 2025E, down from 21% in 2024, indicating a normalization trend [6][28]. Analog Semiconductors - Analog revenue growth has shown positive momentum, with Q3'25 revenue up 5% YoY, and projections for Q4'25 to grow by 11% YoY [3][4]. - Industrial revenues are expected to grow by 10.8% YoY in 2025E, with a forecast of +14.5% YoY for 2026E [4]. AI and Growth Drivers - AI is becoming a significant growth driver, with major companies like Infineon and TI reporting substantial increases in AI-related revenues [5]. - Infineon anticipates AI revenue to rise from $860 million in FY'25E to $1.7 billion in FY'26E [5]. Regional Insights - The report indicates that while China’s growth is moderating, it remains a key market, with expectations of 6% growth in 2026E compared to 8% for non-China regions [6][28]. - Year-to-date, China’s car volumes grew 13% YoY, with NEV (New Energy Vehicle) volumes up 31% YoY [6]. Sector Preferences - The report highlights a preference for analog semiconductors, which are currently trading at approximately 20x P/E for 2026E, compared to a 10-year average of 19x [7]. - Preferred stocks include TI, IFX, and Renesas, while ON and Melexis are rated Neutral [7].

ab Global Research owered by UBS Evidence Lab YES P 8 December 2025 Global I/O Smartphones UBS Evidence Lab inside 4Q25 Smartphone Survey: Will memory shortages impact demand? Smartphone industry conditions could be challenging in 2026 Post initial tariffs announcements last April, smartphone-related stocks have in general performed well. UBS Evidence Lab 4Q25 Smartphone Survey (> Access Dataset) is broadly encouraging for demand, in particular for Apple (iPhone 17 refresh) and, to a lesser extent Samsung. ...

Investment Rating - The report indicates a positive outlook for the semiconductor industry, particularly in the context of recovery following disruptions at Nexperia, with preferred picks including TI, Renesas, Infineon, and STMicroelectronics [2][4]. Core Insights - The semiconductor distribution channel has experienced a month-over-month price increase of 6-9% for power semiconductor products, alongside a significant drop in unit inventories by as much as 20% [2]. - Nexperia's disruption has led to a notable decrease in unit inventories of transistors and diodes, with reductions of 35% and 22% respectively, while prices surged by 68% and 103% [3][10]. - Overall, the pricing environment is supportive, with average year-over-year pricing up 11% in November compared to October [5][27]. Summary by Sections Distributor Data - Nexperia's unit inventories have decreased significantly, with transistors down 36% month-over-month and diodes down 25% month-over-month, while pricing for Nexperia products has more than doubled compared to the same period last year [15][10]. - Other manufacturers have also seen inventory reductions, with onsemi's transistors down 10% month-over-month [15][21]. Market Trends - MCU inventory levels have stabilized, marking the fifth consecutive month of flat unit inventory, indicating a normalization trend across various product categories [4][30]. - Pricing across all product categories has shown an upward trend, with an average increase of 2% month-over-month and 19% year-over-year [4][34]. Company Observations - The report highlights that pricing for all companies tracked has increased year-over-year for the first time, suggesting a broad-based recovery in the semiconductor sector [5][27]. - Unit inventories for nearly all companies remain stable, indicating limited indirect impacts from production delays related to Nexperia [4][5].

Investment Rating - The report indicates a positive outlook for the semiconductor industry, suggesting a potential better than expected Q4 2023, with preferred picks including Texas Instruments, Renesas, Infineon, and STMicroelectronics [2][3]. Core Insights - The semiconductor industry is experiencing a recovery phase, with a slight increase in inventories and supportive pricing dynamics observed for the first time since May 2023 [2][3]. - Pricing across all product categories has shown an increase, with an average of 2% month-over-month and 15% year-over-year, indicating a positive trend in demand and product mix [3][4]. - The report highlights a broad-based recovery in inventory levels, with most companies either flat or up in inventory units across various products [4]. Summary by Sections Inventory Trends - MCU inventories have shown a 1% month-over-month increase after a 2% decline last month, with a notable 7% month-over-month increase in Capacitors [3]. - Overall inventory levels are stable, with destocking in MCUs slowing down, suggesting a transition to normalized inventory levels [10][18]. Pricing Dynamics - The average year-over-year pricing is up 9%, driven by significant increases in specific categories such as NXP's Wireless & RF and Microprocessors, which increased by 78% and 18% respectively [8]. - Pricing trends are supportive, with all product categories experiencing increases, reinforcing the positive sentiment in the market [4][8]. Company Observations - The report includes heatmaps that indicate pricing was up 10% year-over-year in October compared to 8% in September, suggesting a consistent upward trend across categories [4]. - The analysis of company-specific data shows that most companies are experiencing either stable or increasing inventory levels, indicating a healthy recovery across the semiconductor sector [4][18].

Investment Rating - The report provides a positive investment rating for the Taiwan Technology sector, particularly focusing on AI and semiconductor industries, indicating strong growth potential and demand for related technologies [5]. Core Insights - The AI supply chain is experiencing significant growth, with numerous large-scale AI data center projects being announced across various regions, indicating a robust demand for AI infrastructure [8][10]. - The report highlights a projected increase in the total addressable market (TAM) for AI accelerators, expected to grow from approximately $125 billion in 2024 to $309 billion by 2027, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% [22]. - The semiconductor sector is anticipated to see earnings growth, with a projected 34% increase in 2025, driven by the demand for AI-related technologies [44]. Summary by Sections Section 1: AI Cycle - The report outlines various large-scale AI data center projects, detailing their capacities and operators, which collectively indicate a growing trend in AI infrastructure development [8]. Section 2: AI Demand Across Sub-sectors - Emerging markets have a significant revenue weighting in the AI value chain, with various segments such as foundry, memory, and tech components contributing to the overall growth [31]. Section 3: Earnings Growth and Hyperscaler Capex Expectations - The report projects continued earnings growth for the semiconductor sector, with specific metrics indicating a strong performance in 2025 and 2026, alongside increased capital expenditures from major hyperscalers [44][48].

Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating to TSMC and ASE Industrial, indicating a positive outlook for these companies in the semiconductor industry [5][32]. Core Insights - The demand outlook for CoWoS (Chip on Wafer on Substrate) is strengthened due to increased production estimates for Nvidia and Broadcom, with Nvidia's CoWoS demand expected to rise significantly in 2026 [2][4]. - Nvidia's Rubin production at TSMC is on track, with an increase in production units estimated from 1.3 million to 2.3 million in 2026, indicating robust growth potential [3]. - The introduction of Nvidia's new Rubin SKU, CPX, is anticipated to drive further CoWoS demand, with projections showing an increase from 444k units in 2025 to 678k units in 2026 [4]. Summary by Sections Demand Forecasts - Nvidia's CoWoS demand estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been raised by 5% and 26% respectively, driven by higher production units and new product launches [2]. - Broadcom's CoWoS demand for AI accelerators in 2026 has also been revised upwards, reflecting stronger demand from major clients like Google and OpenAI [2]. Production Insights - TSMC's CoWoS capacity is projected to increase from 100kwpm to 110kwpm by the end of 2026, supporting the anticipated growth in demand from Nvidia and Broadcom [2]. - The report highlights that Nvidia's total GPU production units at TSMC are expected to reach 6.9 million and 7.4 million in 2025 and 2026 respectively, up from previous estimates [2]. Stock Recommendations - TSMC is favored as a leading Cloud/Edge AI foundry due to its advanced packaging capabilities, while ASE is expected to benefit from the growth in advanced packaging and testing [5]. - The valuation comparison indicates strong growth potential for both TSMC and ASE, with TSMC's market cap at approximately $1,225 billion and ASE's at $25 billion [5].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive outlook on the semiconductor industry, indicating a transition to a more normalized phase of distributor inventory levels and pricing dynamics, with preferred picks being TI, Renesas, and Infineon [2][3]. Core Insights - The semiconductor industry is experiencing ongoing destocking across most segments, with stable pricing dynamics. Prices remained flat to slightly up in the low single digits across all categories, which is supportive in mitigating deflation risks linked to oversupply [2][3]. - The report highlights that MCU inventory digestion has slowed but continues to decrease, with a 4% month-over-month decline. Overall inventory was down 5% on average, driven by significant destocking in Power Management Circuits, Data Converters, Amplifiers, and Microprocessors, which saw declines of 9-14% month-over-month [3][4]. - Pricing trends are reassuring, with an average increase of 1% month-over-month and 14% year-over-year across all product categories, likely influenced by product mix [3][5]. Summary by Product Area - **Microcontrollers (MCUs)**: Normalized unit inventory decreased by 4% month-over-month, with pricing flat compared to last month and up 2% year-over-year [4][9]. - **Transistors**: Inventory down 2% month-over-month, while pricing increased by 2% month-over-month and 21% year-over-year, largely driven by bipolar transistors [4][15]. - **Power Management Circuits, Data Converters, Amplifiers, and Microprocessors**: These categories experienced significant inventory declines of 9-14% month-over-month [4][15]. - **Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC)**: Inventory volume at distributors was up 6% month-over-month and up 1% in September [4][15]. Conclusions from Company Heatmaps - The pricing environment is manageable, with average year-over-year pricing up 6% in September, driven by significant increases in NXP's Wireless & RF and Microprocessors pricing [5][9]. - Inventory levels are generally stable, with notable declines in specific categories driven by changes in the "other" category [5][11].

Investment Rating - The report maintains an Overweight (O/W) rating for Taiwan, Neutral/Weight (N/W) for Korea, and moves Japan to Neutral/Weight from Underweight (U/W), while China is rated Underweight (U/W) from Neutral/Weight [4]. Core Insights - The smartphone industry unit Sell In forecasts have been raised to +3% YoY for 2025 and +1% YoY for 2026, with PC forecasts increased to +4% YoY for 2025 and +3% YoY for 2026, and server forecasts to +6% YoY for 2025 and +4% YoY for 2026 [1][9]. - AI demand remains robust, with expectations for Nvidia's GB200/300 NVL72 racks in 2025 at 28-29k and initial conservative estimates for 2026 at around 50-60k [1]. - The foundry outlook for 3nm and 2nm is strong, driven by AI accelerator projects, while DDR and NAND supply is tightening, with DDR potentially "sold out" until 2027 [2]. - Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) spending is trending upwards, with forecasts for 2025 at US$109 billion (+12% YoY) and 2026 at US$118 billion (+8% YoY) [3]. Summary by Sections Smartphones - The smartphone market is expected to see unit Sell In of 1.26 billion in 2025 (+3% YoY) and 1.27 billion in 2026 (+1% YoY), with Apple’s iPhone 17 builds projected to increase [9][11]. - Component upgrades in the iPhone 17 series include significant camera enhancements, indicating ongoing technological advancements despite cost pressures [12]. PCs - Global PC unit shipments are forecasted to grow by +4.4% YoY in 2025 and +3.4% YoY in 2026, with commercial segments showing resilient momentum due to the Windows 10 EOL replacement cycle [16][19]. - The report highlights a modestly positive outlook for PC shipments, with consumer PCs expected to grow 0.5% YoY in 2025, while commercial PCs are forecasted to grow by +6.6% YoY [19]. Memory and Foundry - The report indicates a tightening supply for DDR and NAND, with long-term agreements being established by major customers, particularly US hyperscalers [2]. - The outlook for 3nm and 2nm foundries is robust, with expectations for multi-year growth driven by AI projects [2]. Wafer Fab Equipment - WFE spending is expected to increase, particularly from Korean memory makers, with forecasts for domestic China WFE at US$37 billion in 2025 (+3% YoY) [3].

Investment Rating - The report provides a "Buy" rating for companies such as NAURA, AMEC, JCET, TCL Tech, USI, Inovance, Ningbo Tuopu, and a "Sell" rating for Silan Micro [4][36]. Core Insights - The Chinese tech supply chain is optimistic about AI-driven demand and is actively expanding into AI-related businesses [1][2]. - Adoption of Level 2+ Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is increasing, with significant growth in the electric vehicle (EV) Silicon Carbide (SiC) platform [1][2]. - Localisation of semiconductor manufacturing is accelerating, particularly in automotive and data center applications [2][4]. Summary by Sections AI Infrastructure - Companies like Joulwatt and Han's Laser expect to benefit from AI demand, with Joulwatt projecting a high double-digit growth in AI-related analog chips [2][15]. - Han's Laser anticipates continued growth in PCB equipment due to AI demand [18]. Edge AI - ADAS System on Chip (SoC) makers foresee rapid growth in autonomous driving adoption, with some companies achieving design wins of over 500 TOPS [2][12]. - Wearable technology companies like USI and Bestechnic expect increased demand for high-performance chips [2]. Semiconductor Localisation - The report highlights expectations for increased market share in 2026 for products like ADAS SoC and high-end CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) [2][4]. Humanoid Robotics - Companies such as PUDU, PaXini, and KEPLER are developing humanoid robots, with varying progress in commercialization and technology [3][20][21][22]. - PUDU leads in service robots, while PaXini focuses on tactile sensors and dataset collection [20][21]. Stock Preferences - The report identifies top picks in the semiconductor sector, including NAURA and AMEC, and highlights companies in the industrial space such as Inovance and Sanhua [4][36].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive outlook on the technology sector, particularly focusing on cloud and AI growth, with significant upward revisions in capital expenditure forecasts for 2025 and 2026 [22][23]. Core Insights - Amazon's cloud growth is moderating, with AWS sales increasing by 17.5% YoY to US$30.9 billion, but operating margins have compressed from 36% to 33% due to higher depreciation costs [2][4]. - The overall sales for the top five hyperscalers in Q225 showed a +9% QoQ and +15% YoY increase, indicating a strong recovery trajectory in cloud services [22]. - Capital expenditures for the top five hyperscalers reached US$104 billion in Q225, reflecting a +27% QoQ and +72% YoY increase, with a shift towards short-lived GPU assets [22][23]. Summary by Sections Amazon Performance - Amazon's Q225 sales were reported at US$168 billion, up 12% YoY, exceeding guidance [4]. - The company's US business grew by 11% YoY to US$100 billion, while international sales increased by 16% YoY to US$37 billion [4]. - Amazon's capital expenditures in Q225 were US$32.2 billion, up 29% QoQ and 85% YoY, with guidance for 2025 capex to reach US$122 billion, a 47% YoY increase [4][22]. Cloud and AI Growth - The report highlights that AI-related sales at Amazon are growing at triple-digit rates, with management expecting continued growth from the shift to cloud and increased AI applications [4][22]. - The hyperscaler cloud growth is projected to recover, with an acceleration from ~20% YoY growth to mid-20% growth, driven by ongoing workload migration to cloud services [22]. Inventory and Tariff Impact - Amazon's inventory increased by 5% QoQ and 10% YoY to US$40.8 billion, with inventory days rising to 46 days, above the past eight years' Q2 average [5][28]. - The report notes that tariff impacts have been limited so far, with no major demand or pricing changes observed [5][30]. Semiconductor and Supply Chain Outlook - UBS maintains a positive view on semiconductor companies that support high-performance computing, with key picks including TSMC and ASE [27]. - The report indicates that supply constraints are expected to persist into next year for several hyperscalers, affecting their ability to meet rising compute demand [22][27].