Investment Rating - The report upgrades Aspeed Technology from Equal-weight to Overweight with a price target of NT$5,000 and raises Montage Technology's price target to Rmb100 from Rmb88 [6][35]. Core Insights - The report indicates a shift in perspective on cloud semiconductors, moving from a neutral stance to a positive outlook as a potential trough in cloud capital expenditures (capex) is anticipated in 4Q/1Q26, with US tariff impacts already priced in [2][33]. - Strong growth in US cloud capex is projected, with a year-over-year increase of 38% in 2025, marking it as the third strongest year of capex growth in the past decade [10][12]. - The report highlights that the market may be underestimating the upside risks associated with CPU and non-standard AI server demand, particularly with the ramp-up of GB racks and increased semi content in servers [9][4]. Summary by Sections Cloud Semiconductor Outlook - The report suggests that the cloud semiconductor cycle is likely to trough soon, with earnings revisions expected to bottom out and improvements in GB rack yield [2][3]. - General server demand has exceeded expectations in the first half of the year, driven by inference demand and alternative GPU solutions, indicating sustained demand into the second half [3][4]. Company-Specific Insights - Aspeed's earnings downgrades are believed to have reached a bottom, prompting an upgrade to Overweight due to anticipated earnings momentum [5][41]. - Montage is expected to benefit from the adoption of advanced interfaces by China server brands, with a projected earnings growth of 25% CAGR from 2024 to 2027 [5][33]. Financial Projections - The report raises earnings estimates for Aspeed by 9% for 2025, 8% for 2026, and 31% for 2027, while Montage's earnings are raised by 9% and 11% for 2026 and 2027, respectively [5][33]. - Montage's valuation appears attractive at 38x the estimated EPS for 2026, especially given the forecasted earnings growth [5][41]. Market Trends - The report notes that the cumulative capex from the top 11 global cloud players is expected to reach US$392 billion in 2025, representing 16.6% of their revenue, which is an all-time high [10][12]. - The anticipated increase in semi content in servers is linked to enhanced security functions, which will likely benefit companies with comprehensive product offerings [4][9].

Investment Rating - The industry view is rated as In-Line [8] Core Insights - The report maintains a conservative stance on cloud semiconductors in the near term, with expectations that the cycle could trough in the second half of 2025 [2][6] - A recent CIO survey indicates potential downside for China cloud capital expenditures (capex) in 2H25, with data center build-out being a top spending priority but also the most likely to face budget cuts [3][11][15] - Strong orders for non-AI cloud semiconductors are anticipated into 2Q25, with Montage Technology showing sequential revenue growth [4][6] - AI cloud semiconductors may experience a slowdown in specification migration, but demand remains strong for inference applications, particularly for Nvidia [5][10] Summary by Sections Cloud Semiconductors - The report suggests that the cloud semiconductor market is heading into a trough in 2H25, with a conservative outlook maintained for the near term [2][10] - The top four cloud service providers (CSPs) reported a 64% year-over-year increase in capex in 1Q25, slightly down from 68% [6][30] CIO Survey Insights - The CIO survey indicates that data center build-out is a top priority for spending in 2025, but it is also the category most vulnerable to cuts, with a 19% response rate indicating it is likely to be cut, increasing to 29% after the announcement of reciprocal tariffs [3][18] - The defensiveness of data center build-out has decreased significantly post-tariff announcements [18] Company-Specific Insights - Montage Technology's price target has been adjusted from RMB 90.00 to RMB 88.00, reflecting earnings estimate cuts due to uncertainties in the market [8][45] - The report anticipates a 38% year-over-year growth in global cloud capex for 2025, up from a previous forecast of 31%, indicating strong investment trends among major cloud players [19][24] Financial Projections - Earnings estimates for Montage have been revised downwards, with a 2% cut for 2025 and a 5% cut for 2026, reflecting risks associated with potential cuts in data center projects [45][46] - The financial summary for Montage indicates projected net sales of RMB 5.601 billion for 2025, with a gross profit margin of 60.6% [41][46]