TSMC(US:TSM) Jin Rong Jie·2026-01-16 09:08Core Viewpoint - TSMC's recent earnings report exceeded market expectations, igniting a new wave of AI-themed market enthusiasm, with a record capital expenditure plan of up to $56 billion by 2026, boosting confidence across the semiconductor industry [1] Group 1: Impressive Earnings - TSMC's Q4 2025 revenue reached approximately $33.7 billion, with a net profit of $16 billion, showing significant year-on-year growth [2] - The gross margin increased to 62.3%, indicating strong pricing power and technological advantages in advanced processes [2] - High-performance computing revenue, including CPU, GPU, and AI acceleration chips, grew significantly, accounting for 55% of total revenue, surpassing smartphone business for the first time [2] - The 3nm and 5nm processes contributed over 60% of revenue, demonstrating the financial returns from technological leadership [2] Group 2: Bold Future Investments - TSMC provided an optimistic revenue growth forecast of nearly 30% for 2026 and raised its capital expenditure plan to $52 billion to $56 billion, a nearly 30% increase from the previous year [3] - This investment decision was made after extensive discussions with major clients like NVIDIA, Apple, and AMD, aimed at addressing confirmed long-term structural demand driven by AI [3] - A significant portion of the capital expenditure (10%-20%) will be allocated to advanced packaging technology to enhance AI chip production capacity [3] Group 3: Industry Chain Revaluation - TSMC's positive outlook has triggered a value reassessment across the semiconductor supply chain, particularly benefiting semiconductor equipment manufacturers [4] - ASML, the sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, saw its market value soar past $500 billion following TSMC's report, becoming one of Europe's highest-valued tech companies [4] - The optimistic sentiment spread to the broader chip sector, with stocks of companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Micron Technologies rising [4] Group 4: Evolving AI Demand - The underlying logic supporting TSMC and the industry's confidence is the qualitative shift in AI demand, moving from model training to inference needs driven by widespread application [5][6] - As AI transitions from experimental phases to various industries, the demand for computing power is expected to grow exponentially, indicating a more sustainable demand base [6] Group 5: Challenges Ahead - Despite the optimism, there are cautious voices regarding the sustainability of high profitability and capital returns amid geopolitical pressures and cyclical risks [7] - TSMC's $56 billion capital expenditure requires sustained high customer orders over several years to avoid potential overcapacity risks [7] - The high costs of building fabs in regions like the U.S., Japan, and Europe compared to Taiwan pose long-term profitability challenges [7]