CNBC Daily Open: TSMC earnings draw investors' eyes back to AI

Group 1 - Taiwan's $250 billion investment in chip production in the U.S. is part of a broader trade deal with Washington, which includes lowering tariffs on Taiwanese imports from 20% to 15% and eliminating them on other products like generic pharmaceuticals and aircraft components [2] - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has acquired land in Arizona and plans to expand operations there as part of the investment deal [3] - TSMC reported a 35% increase in fourth-quarter profit year-over-year, marking eight consecutive quarters of profit growth, and is raising its expected capital expenditure for 2026 due to high demand for artificial intelligence [4] Group 2 - The positive earnings reports from TSMC and other financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley contributed to a rise in stock markets, particularly in semiconductor and AI-related stocks such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Applied Materials [5] - European chip-making equipment producers, including ASML and ASM International, also saw stock price increases in response to the optimistic market sentiment [5]