4 Ways TSMC Makes Its Money

Group 1: Market Overview - Semiconductor stocks and artificial intelligence (AI) are leading the stock market in 2025, with the S&P 500 up 12% and major semiconductor ETFs significantly outperforming the market [1] - Companies like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom are performing well, but they rely on fabrication companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) for their semiconductor needs [2] Group 2: TSMC's Role and Revenue - TSMC is the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry, producing advanced chips for major companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and Tesla, utilizing 288 different process technologies to create nearly 12,000 products in 2024 [5] - High-powered semiconductors are increasingly contributing to TSMC's revenue, with 60% of revenue coming from specialized 3nm and 5nm chips, which are critical for performance [6] - TSMC's revenue distribution has shifted, with 36% from 5nm chips and 24% from 3nm chips, compared to 30% from 7nm chips in Q2 2022 [7] Group 3: Financial Performance - TSMC reported revenues of $11.13 billion in August, marking a 33% increase year-over-year and nearly 4% growth month-over-month [8] - The company is investing $165 billion in new production facilities in Arizona to enhance domestic semiconductor fabrication and mitigate trade issues [8] Group 4: Additional Revenue Streams - Besides high-powered chips, TSMC generates revenue from smartphones, which account for 27% of its business, particularly through the production of semiconductors that enable 5G technology [9]