Summary of SEMICON West Conference Call Industry Overview - **Industry**: Semiconductor Capital Equipment - **Event**: SEMICON West Conference held in Arizona from October 7-9, 2025 - **General Sentiment**: The conference highlighted excitement about competition driving industry growth in Wafer Fabrication Equipment (WFE) and testing, but also a cautious outlook for December quarter earnings [1][2] Key Takeaways 1. **Memory Pricing vs Capex**: - Increased bullishness on memory WFE due to better pricing and stronger bit demand - Industry participants expressed skepticism about overly positive memory WFE outlook - Micron's FY26 capex guidance and Kioxia's Kitakami Fab2 operation start were cited as validations [2][2][2] 2. **Market Share Dynamics**: - Each company presented its own market share gain narrative, with notable mentions including TEL, SCREEN, AMAT, and Veeco/Axcelis - Anticipation of competition driving the industry forward [2][2] 3. **China Market Dynamics**: - New Chinese customers were significant for WFE in 2023-2024, but orders have slowed, particularly in mature logic - Leading-edge Chinese customers still show strength, with fierce competition noted in trailing-edge segments [2][2] 4. **Test Intensity**: - Teradyne and Advantest are competing for memory market share, with increased test insertions driven by a focus on yield and time to market - Expansion beyond mobile testing into new areas like HBM testing [2][2] 5. **Broader Growth Drivers**: - MKS and AEIS highlighted growth in segments outside semiconductors, particularly in PCB chemistry and data centers, benefiting from AI-related demand [2][2] Company-Specific Insights - **AEIS**: - Moderated WFE outlook due to softer trailing-edge logic demand but expects strong DRAM WFE market growth [6][6] - **Advantest**: - Focused on expanding offerings across the test value chain, leveraging AI for optimization [7][7] - **AMAT**: - Addressed concerns regarding China and GAA market share, emphasizing a timing issue for the $500 million miss in guidance [8][8] - **AMKR**: - Ground-breaking announcement for a new facility in Arizona with a $7 billion investment, aligned with TSMC [9][9] - **Lasertec**: - Noted growth in memory customers and increased inquiries from Chinese customers amid tighter restrictions [11][11] - **MKS**: - No indications of a significant ramp in memory demand, but optimistic about tool demand continuing to drive growth [12][12] - **SCREEN**: - Observed increasing cleaning intensity and cautious optimism for medium-term growth [13][13] - **Teradyne**: - Highlighted the importance of test coverage and announced new products to meet growing networking demands [14][15] - **Tokyo Electron (TEL)**: - Cautioned against over-optimism regarding memory prices and emphasized a focus on leading-edge customers [16][16] - **Veeco**: - Discussed the strategic merger with Axcelis to tackle AI-driven market demands [17][17] Additional Insights - **General Market Sentiment**: The conference underscored a cautious optimism regarding the semiconductor market, with varying dynamics in different segments and regions, particularly concerning China [2][2][2]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of understanding macro trends and their influence on asset prices and investor behavior, particularly in the context of equity analysis and research [1]. Group 1: Professional Background - The expert has over 10 years of experience in asset management, focusing on equity analysis, macroeconomics, and risk-managed portfolio construction [1]. - The professional background includes advising on and implementing multi-asset strategies, with a strong emphasis on equities and derivatives [1]. Group 2: Investment Philosophy - The goal of sharing insights is to make investing accessible, inspiring, and empowering for fellow investors [1]. - The expert encourages building confidence in long-term investing through shared knowledge and collaboration [1].

Core Viewpoint - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is considered a 'Strong Buy' due to its effective management during the AI revolution, positioning the company to capitalize on emerging opportunities [1] Company Analysis - TSMC has demonstrated stellar execution in the context of the AI revolution, which is crucial for its growth and market positioning [1] - The company is expected to benefit from the increasing demand for semiconductor technology driven by advancements in AI [1] Investment Perspective - The author has a long position in TSMC shares, indicating confidence in the company's future performance [2] - The insights provided aim to be accessible for investors of all experience levels, emphasizing a collaborative exploration of market opportunities [1]

Core Insights - Taiwan Semiconductor's stock has been reaching all-time highs over the past month, primarily driven by market enthusiasm surrounding AI technology [1] - The company has delivered a nearly 17% total return since late July, outperforming broader market indices [1] Company Performance - The stock performance reflects strong investor sentiment and confidence in Taiwan Semiconductor's growth potential, particularly in the AI sector [1] Market Context - The recent surge in stock price is indicative of the broader market trend where AI-related companies are experiencing heightened interest and investment [1]

Core Insights - The investor adopts a contrarian investment style, focusing on high-risk, illiquid options and shares, with a balanced portfolio of approximately 50% in each [1] - The investment strategy involves identifying stocks that have recently experienced sell-offs due to non-recurrent events, particularly when insiders are buying shares at lower prices [1] - Fundamental analysis is employed to assess the health of companies, their leverage, and to compare financial ratios with sector and industry averages [1] - Technical analysis is utilized to optimize entry and exit points, using multicolor lines for support and resistance levels on weekly charts [1] Investment Strategy - The investor's timeframe for holding positions typically ranges from 3 to 24 months [1] - A professional background check is conducted on each insider who purchased shares after a recent sell-off to ensure credibility [1] - The investor screens through thousands of stocks, primarily in the US, but may also invest in companies from less stable economies [1]

Since my last coverage in June Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM ) stock has jumped by almost 40%, well outpacing the market as the investors have recognized its leadership in the 3nm, 5nm, andHi, I'm Yiannis. Spotting winners before they break out is what I do best.Experience: Previously worked at Deloitte and KPMG in external/internal auditing and consulting. Education: Chartered Certified Accountant, Fellow Member of ACCA Global, with BSc and MSc degrees from U.K. business sch ...

Since my last coverage in June Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM ) stock has jumped by almost 40%, well outpacing the market as the investors have recognized its leadership in the 3nm, 5nm, andHi, I'm Yiannis. Spotting winners before they break out is what I do best.Experience: Previously worked at Deloitte and KPMG in external/internal auditing and consulting. Education: Chartered Certified Accountant, Fellow Member of ACCA Global, with BSc and MSc degrees from U.K. business sch ...

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of data-driven analysis in identifying investment opportunities within the aerospace, defense, and airline sectors [2]. Group 1: Investment Opportunities - The Aerospace Forum aims to discover investment opportunities in the aerospace, defense, and airline industries, highlighting significant growth prospects in these sectors [2]. - The analysis provided by the forum is informed by data analytics, which helps contextualize industry developments and their potential impact on investment theses [2]. Group 2: Analyst Background - The analyst, Dhierin, has a background in aerospace engineering, which equips him to analyze the complexities of the industry effectively [2]. - The forum offers direct access to data analytics monitors, enhancing the investment research process [2].

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The semiconductor industry in Greater China has been upgraded to an "Attractive" view for the second half of 2025, with a strong preference for AI-related semiconductors over non-AI counterparts [1][3] - The concerns regarding tariffs on semiconductors and foreign exchange impacts are now behind, leading to expectations of further re-rating for the sector [1][3] Core Investment Themes - Key investment themes for 2026 are being previewed, emphasizing the ongoing strength of AI semiconductors [1][3] - The report highlights the importance of AI in driving demand across various verticals beyond the semiconductor industry [5][6] Top Investment Picks - **AI Semiconductors**: TSMC (Top Pick), Aspeed, Alchip, KYEC, ASE, FOCI, Himax, ASMPT, AllRing - **Memory Stocks**: Winbond (Top Pick), GWC, Phison, Nanya Tech, APMemory, GigaDevice, Macronix - **Non-AI Stocks**: Novatek, OmniVision, Realtek, NAURA Tech, AMEC, ACMR, Silergy, SG Micro, Yangjie, GlobalWafers [5][6] Market Dynamics - The recovery in the semiconductor market is expected to be gradual, with historical data indicating that a decline in semiconductor inventory days is a positive signal for stock price appreciation [5][6] - The introduction of DeepSeek technology is anticipated to trigger demand for AI inferencing, although there are concerns about the sufficiency of domestic GPU supply [5][6] Long-term Demand Drivers - The reacceleration of AI semiconductor demand is attributed to generative AI technologies, which are expected to proliferate across various sectors [5][6] - Price elasticity in technology products is anticipated to stimulate demand further [5][6] Valuation Insights - A detailed valuation comparison across various semiconductor segments, including foundry, back-end, memory, and integrated device manufacturers (IDM), is provided, showcasing P/E ratios, EPS growth, and return on equity (ROAE) metrics [6][7] - TSMC's projected revenue from AI semiconductors is estimated to account for approximately 34% of its total revenue by 2027 [16][18] Future Capex Expectations - An estimated additional US$3-4 trillion in AI capital expenditures is expected in the remainder of the decade, with AI semiconductors identified as a major growth driver [20][22] Supply Chain Considerations - The supply chain for semiconductors is showing signs of improvement, with a decline in inventory days noted in the second quarter of 2025 [28][29] - The report also discusses the ongoing shortages in specific memory types, such as DDR4, which are expected to persist into 2026 [29][34] Conclusion - The semiconductor industry in Greater China is positioned for growth, particularly in the AI segment, with several key players identified for investment. The overall sentiment is optimistic, supported by favorable market dynamics and technological advancements.

Ellen Hazen has some big ideas for you into all of it. She is chief market strategist and portfolio manager at FL Putnham Investment Management down from Boston and joins us now. Ellen, good to have you on set again.Thanks for having me. Yeah. Why, before we get to some individual things that you like, why do you think the market is not responding more to day nine of a partial government shutdown.I think there have been a lot of shutdowns over the years. We've had 20 shutdowns since 1970. Most of them were ...