Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee was cleared of all charges related to accounting fraud and stock manipulation by South Korea’s Supreme Court https://t.co/vHZ08FxeLP ...

Group 1 - Samsung Electronics has been identified as a stock that has underperformed, lacking meaningful momentum in its market performance [1] - The focus is on identifying high-quality companies with strong balance sheets and shareholder-friendly policies, particularly in cash-rich firms [1] - A disciplined approach to valuation is emphasized, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures to uncover investment opportunities [1]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The focus is on the **Global Semiconductors & Hardware** industry, specifically the **AI server and edge AI** sectors [2][3]. Core Insights and Arguments - **Investment Surge**: Total investment in upcoming and under-construction data centers has reached approximately **US$750 billion**, with major contributions from hyperscalers, neoclouds, and sovereign funds. Expected capex growth for major cloud service providers (CSPs) is **46% YoY in 2025** and **6% in 2026**, reaching **US$386 billion** [3][30]. - **AI Funding**: Primary market AI funding hit a record **US$60 billion** in 1Q25, largely driven by OpenAI's **US$40 billion** financing round, representing **53% of all global startup funding** [25][30]. - **Server Shipments**: High-end GPU server shipments are projected to grow over **50% in 2025**, while ASIC server shipments are expected to comprise nearly **45% of total AI chip shipments** this year [4][37]. - **Financial Performance**: The AI supply chain remains resilient, with companies like Accton, Gold Circuit, and Wiwynn seeing upward revisions in earnings due to stronger-than-expected demand for ASIC servers [6][38]. Important Developments - **Edge AI Innovations**: While edge AI technologies are gaining traction, they are still in the early stages. AI glasses shipments surged by triple digits YoY in 1Q25, indicating competitive dynamics in the market [7]. - **Key Projects to Monitor**: Upcoming developments include monitoring capex guidance from CSPs, progress on mega projects like Stargate, and advancements in TSMC's AP7/AP8 technologies [8][26]. Potential Investment Opportunities - **Chroma and Delta**: Rated as outperform with price targets of **NT$480** and **NT$490** respectively, benefiting from the AI wave [11][12]. - **NVIDIA**: Rated outperform with a price target of **US$185**, capitalizing on the datacenter opportunity [17]. - **Broadcom and Marvell**: Broadcom expects a **US$60-90 billion** serviceable available market (SAM) for AI revenue by FY2027, while Marvell anticipates a **53% CAGR** in its data center total addressable market (TAM) from 2023 to 2028 [53][56]. Other Notable Points - **Market Dynamics**: The AI server market is expected to drive the global server market to nearly **US$400 billion by 2026**, with a significant increase in the mix of AI servers [35][39]. - **Supply Chain Resilience**: Despite market volatility, the AI supply chain has shown resilience, with stock performance of key suppliers indicating a recovery trend [6]. This summary encapsulates the critical insights and developments discussed in the conference call, highlighting the robust growth and investment opportunities within the AI server and semiconductor sectors.

June 30, 2025 07:55 AM GMT M Foundation Morgan Stanley Asia Limited+ Shawn Kim Equity Analyst Shawn.Kim@morganstanley.com +852 3963-1005 Duan Liu Equity Analyst Duan.Liu@morganstanley.com +852 2239-7357 Michelle Kim Research Associate Michelle.Kim1@morganstanley.com +852 3963-0183 S. Korea Technology Asia Pacific Industry View In-Line Morgan Stanley does and seeks to do business with companies covered in Morgan Stanley Research. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of int ...

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry or specific companies covered [4][5]. Core Insights - The report highlights upcoming volatility events that could significantly impact equity markets, particularly for large-cap, highly liquid stocks in the Asia Pacific region [1][2]. - A tracker of key upcoming events for major companies in the region is compiled, focusing on those with substantial market capitalization and trading volume, as well as smaller stocks known for price volatility in sectors like Healthcare and Materials [2][4]. Summary by Relevant Sections Upcoming Events - Key macro catalysts for Japan are included, indicating a focus on significant market-moving events [2]. - Specific companies and their anticipated catalysts are listed, such as: - ANTA Sports Products (2020.HK) with an operational update expected in early to mid-July 2025, monitoring for faster-than-industry performance [11]. - Fast Retailing (9983.T) with FY8/25 Q4 results due in October 2025, assessing if the bottom of performance in China is confirmed [11]. - Pop Mart International (9992.HK) expected to issue a positive profit alert in early to mid-July 2025 [11]. Sector-Specific Insights - In the Materials sector, companies like Aluminum Corp. of China (2600.HK) are monitored for aluminum demand, particularly from solar applications, with developments expected in the second half of 2025 [23]. - The report also tracks developments in the Semiconductor sector, with companies like Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and TSMC (2330.TW) expected to provide updates on market outlook and revenue guidance in the second half of 2025 [25][26].

Core Insights - Apple Inc. is considering utilizing AI technology from Anthropic PBC or OpenAI for a new version of Siri, moving away from its in-house models in a significant strategic shift [1][4][5] - Discussions with both companies are ongoing, focusing on training their large language models to operate on Apple's cloud infrastructure [2][22] - This potential transition indicates Apple's struggle to compete in the generative AI space, which is seen as a critical technology advancement [4][10] Company Strategy - The current AI features of Apple are primarily powered by its own technology, known as Apple Foundation Models, with plans for a new Siri version based on this technology set for 2026 [3][5] - The exploration of third-party models is still in early stages, and no final decision has been made yet [5][12] - The internal project named LLM Siri continues to be developed alongside the discussions with external AI providers [5][10] Leadership and Management Changes - The evaluation of external models is led by Siri chief Mike Rockwell and software engineering head Craig Federighi, following the reassignment of responsibilities from AI chief John Giannandrea [7][29] - Rockwell has directed his team to assess the effectiveness of Siri using both in-house and third-party technologies [9][10] - Giannandrea's influence within the company is diminishing as responsibilities are shifted to other executives [28][29] Talent and Morale - There are concerns regarding team morale as some engineers feel blamed for the company's AI shortcomings, leading to potential talent loss to competitors offering significantly higher salaries [18][19][20] - Apple has made counteroffers to retain key talent, indicating the competitive landscape for AI engineers [21] Financial Considerations - Apple is negotiating financial terms with Anthropic, which is seeking a multibillion-dollar annual fee that escalates over time, complicating the potential partnership [27] - The company has already allocated a multibillion-dollar budget for 2026 to support its own AI model development [12] Future Developments - If Apple proceeds with third-party models, it may enhance Siri's capabilities to match those of AI assistants on Android devices, potentially improving its market position [5][10] - Apple is also exploring acquisitions to bolster its AI capabilities, including discussions with Perplexity and Thinking Machines Lab [16]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating for Semiconductor Production Equipment is Attractive [2]. Core Insights - The semiconductor production equipment market is expected to experience strong growth driven by demand for advanced packaging materials and AI-related technologies [12][34]. - Major companies like Microsoft and NVIDIA are significantly increasing their capital expenditures, which will positively impact the semiconductor equipment sector [8][21]. - The demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced packaging technologies is projected to rise, creating opportunities for companies like Advantest and Disco [34][12]. Summary by Sections Market Overview - The semiconductor production equipment market is anticipated to grow despite a slow recovery in the overall semiconductor market, with advanced packaging applications expected to outpace other segments [12][34]. - The WFE (Wafer Fabrication Equipment) market is projected to see low-single digit negative growth in 2025 [16]. Company Ratings - Advantest (6857.T) is rated Overweight with a target price based on a P/E of 14.0x [49]. - Disco (6146.T) is rated Overweight with a target P/E of 25.1x [46]. - SCREEN Holdings (7735.T) is rated Overweight with a target P/E of 11.9x [54]. - Tokyo Electron (8035.T) is rated Equal-weight [113]. Demand Drivers - The increasing need for AI servers and advanced packaging materials is driving demand for semiconductor production equipment [8][12]. - Companies are expected to ramp up capital expenditures directed at HBM4 and advanced packaging technologies starting from the second half of 2025 [8][12]. Geopolitical Factors - The US-China trade tensions and export restrictions are influencing the semiconductor equipment market, particularly affecting sales to China [20][22]. - Domestic production of AI chips in China is expected to increase capital intensity, benefiting companies like Advantest and Tokyo Seimitsu [21].

Global memorv EQUITY: MEMORY Upside potential remains solid into 2027F, thanks to Al Commodity DRAM/NAND: strong 1H25F and weak 4Q25F – shipment and ASP growth in 2Q25F likely higher than expected due to pull-in demand in anticipation of a tariff hike For 2Q25, we had pencilled in 10-20% q-q growth in both DRAM and NAND shipments. However, we now believe that actual shipment growth could turn out to be higher than our previous expectation ([company guidance] DRAM: SEC and Hynix 10-12% q-q; NAND: SEC 15% q-q ...

Investment Rating - The report provides an "In-Line" investment rating for the automotive sensing equipment market, indicating a balanced outlook for the sector [9]. Core Insights - The automotive CMOS image sensor (CIS) market is experiencing a significant growth phase driven by advancements in automotive electronic control unit (ECU) integration and the increasing demand for high-resolution CMOS image sensors, particularly for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) [2][3][14]. - The report forecasts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% for the high-resolution image sensor market (over 5MP) from 2025 to 2030, compared to a 5% CAGR for the overall automotive image sensor market [3][16]. - Major players in the high-res CIS market include Sony Group, Samsung Electronics, and Will Semiconductor, with Will Semiconductor expected to expand its market share significantly by 2025 [5][30]. Summary by Sections I. Summary and Investment Conclusions - The automotive imaging sensor market is at an inflection point, with a forecasted increase in camera module content per vehicle from 3.8 units in 2024 to over 10 units by 2030, driven by the integration of high-resolution CMOS sensors in ADAS [15][56]. II. Automotive Sensing Equipment Market - The demand for automotive sensing equipment is steadily growing, with a focus on enhancing ADAS performance through improved sensor integration and technology [42][48]. III. Tech Trend in ADAS Camera - The report highlights the transition to integrated ECUs using system-on-chip (SoC) technology, which is expected to reduce costs and increase the number of sensing modules installed per vehicle [61][65]. IV. Road to Humanoids - The sensing technologies developed for ADAS are anticipated to form the foundation for future humanoid applications, with CMOS image sensors playing a crucial role in visual information acquisition [6][40]. V. Automotive CMOS Image Sensor Market - The report projects that high-resolution CIS will account for over 30% of total automotive CIS shipments by FY28, significantly impacting industry revenue [16][25]. VI. Main CIS Makers - Key players in the automotive CIS market include Sony, onsemi, Will Semiconductor, and Samsung Electronics, with varying strategies and market positions influencing their growth potential [30][35][36]. VII. CIS Process Technology and Capacity - The report discusses the technological barriers in high-res CIS production, which limit the number of suppliers and highlight the competitive landscape among existing manufacturers [4][23].

Investment Rating - The report indicates a strong performance in the Asia EM equity strategy, particularly highlighting Japan's earnings as a standout with a net beat ratio of +25 percentage points [2][7]. Core Insights - The earnings results for 1Q25 showed a strong performance across the Asia EM region, with Japan leading at +23.3%, followed by Korea (+20.3%), Singapore (+11.9%), and Thailand (+10.5%) [2][3][26]. - Emerging Markets (EM) overall reported a moderate earnings beat of +4.7%, while Asia Pacific ex-Japan (APxJ) saw a slightly higher beat of +6.0% [2][12]. - The report notes that the strong earnings in Japan are attributed to corporate and consumer activities that were brought forward ahead of tariff announcements in early April [1]. Summary by Region - Japan reported a remarkable earnings surprise of +23.3% with a net beat ratio of 25%, marking the second consecutive quarter of strong performance [7][26]. - Korea and Singapore also performed well, with earnings surprises of +20.3% and +11.9% respectively, while Thailand reported +10.5% [3][26]. - In contrast, Brazil experienced significant misses with an earnings surprise of -7.8%, and Turkey reported a substantial decline of -29.1% [3][26]. Summary by Sector - Major sectors showing strong earnings beats include Industrials (+16.6%), Communication Services (+11.6%), and Health Care (+10.3%) [4][32]. - Consumer Staples and Materials sectors reported slight misses, with Consumer Staples at -1.6% and Materials at -1.1% [4][32]. - The Capital Goods and Telecom Services industries were particularly strong, with earnings surprises of +24.4% and +21.5% respectively [4][32]. Stock-Level Surprises - The report highlights key stock-level surprises, focusing on companies rated Overweight (OW) that are expected to see increases in 12-month consensus estimates following strong earnings beats [5]. - Conversely, Underweight (UW) rated companies are anticipated to experience downgrades due to earnings misses [5]. Revenue Surprises - Revenue results across the region showed slight beats, with EM at +1.3%, APxJ at +1.1%, and Japan slightly missing at -0.1% [2][3]. - The report emphasizes that revenue surprises were generally positive, contributing to the overall strong earnings performance in the region [2][3].