
Core Viewpoint - The semiconductor equipment sector is experiencing significant growth driven by domestic production acceleration, surging AI computing power demand, and expansion in storage chip capacity [4][7]. Market Dynamics - The semiconductor equipment sector has shown strong performance, with notable stock price increases and a significant rise in the China Securities Semiconductor Materials and Equipment Theme Index, reflecting high market interest [3][4]. - The index focuses on the upstream and midstream segments of the semiconductor industry, with semiconductor materials and equipment accounting for 97% of its weight, indicating a strong emphasis on these areas [5]. - As of September 26, the semiconductor materials and equipment index has risen over 22% in the month, outperforming other semiconductor indices, showcasing its relative strength [5][6]. Industry Drivers - The robust performance of the semiconductor equipment sector is closely linked to positive signals from the industry, including advancements in domestic computing infrastructure and significant expansion plans in the storage chip sector [8]. - The China Unicom's Sanjiangyuan Green Power Intelligent Computing Center project has gained attention, collaborating with seven domestic AI chip companies and achieving a total computing power scale of nearly 3500P, which enhances domestic computing capabilities and creates new market opportunities for semiconductor equipment manufacturers [8]. - Major companies like Huawei and Baidu are actively advancing their AI chip strategies, further driving demand for chips and semiconductor equipment [9]. Investment Outlook - The global monetary policy environment is becoming more favorable, with the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts injecting liquidity into the market, benefiting the semiconductor equipment sector [10]. - Compared to the already fully valued AI application layer, semiconductor equipment, as an upstream infrastructure segment, benefits from both the direct boost of AI computing demand and market share gains from deepening domestic production [10]. - The semiconductor equipment ETF has seen continuous net inflows, indicating market optimism about the sector's future performance [10][11]. - The ETF has achieved a cumulative return rate of 77.92% since its inception, highlighting the strong performance of underlying assets and the strategic value of semiconductor equipment in the AI industry [11].