智通财经网·2026-01-17 07:32Core Viewpoint - TSMC is expected to significantly increase its capital expenditure to $52-56 billion in 2026, exceeding market expectations, which indicates an early start to the 2nm process mass production cycle [1][3]. Group 1: Financial Performance - In 2025, TSMC is projected to achieve record revenue of $122 billion, a year-on-year increase of 35.9%, driven by strong demand in AI and HPC, with a gross margin nearing 60% [2]. - The revenue contribution from advanced processes (7nm and below) is expected to reach 77%, with 3nm and 5nm processes contributing 63% of wafer sales [2]. - The net profit attributable to the parent company is forecasted to reach NT$1.72 trillion, marking a growth of over 30% year-on-year, setting a historical high [2]. Group 2: Capital Expenditure Insights - TSMC's capital expenditure for 2025 is set at $40.9 billion, with a more aggressive guidance for 2026 at $52-56 billion, with 70%-80% allocated to advanced processes and 10%-20% for advanced packaging, testing, and mask manufacturing [3]. - This increased investment reflects TSMC's strategic commitment to expanding production capacity in response to the growing demand for AI computing chips [3]. Group 3: Semiconductor Market Trends - The global semiconductor market is projected to grow from $680 billion in 2025 to $1.741 trillion by 2035, with a CAGR of 9.9%, driven by demand from servers, data centers, and storage [4]. - Advanced logic capacity (7nm and below) is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 15% from 2025 to 2035, fueled by AI demand [5]. Group 4: Domestic Market Dynamics - China's semiconductor demand accounts for about 35% of the global market, while its production capacity for 7nm and below is less than 5%, indicating a significant potential for capacity expansion [6]. - The domestic semiconductor industry is expected to fill the capacity gap, leading to a market for equipment investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars [6]. Group 5: Equipment Supply Chain and Localization - Domestic wafer fabs are actively building a "non-US" equipment supply chain, providing a growth window for local equipment manufacturers [7]. - The localization rate of semiconductor equipment is expected to increase from 30% to 60%-70% in the coming years, driven by the domestic production of DRAM and 3D NAND [7]. Group 6: Investment Recommendations - The dual drivers of AI demand and domestic substitution are expected to lead to sustained large-scale investments in advanced capacity in China [8]. - Focus is recommended on leading companies that have achieved technological breakthroughs in core equipment areas such as etching, deposition, cleaning, and CMP, which have validated their capabilities with major clients [8].