Core Insights - Qualcomm has launched AI200 and AI250 chip-based AI accelerator cards and racks, optimized for AI inference in data centers, utilizing its NPU technology [1][9] - The AI250 features a near-memory computing architecture that provides 10x effective memory bandwidth while optimizing power consumption [2] - The global AI inference market is projected to reach $97.24 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.5% from 2025 to 2030, indicating a significant growth opportunity for Qualcomm [3] Product Offerings - The AI200 is designed for large language models and multimodal model inference, offering a lower total cost of ownership [2] - Qualcomm's solutions are characterized by high memory capacity, affordability, and flexibility, making them suitable for modern AI data center needs [4] - HUMAIN, a global AI company, has chosen Qualcomm's AI200 and AI250 solutions for high-performance AI inference services [4] Competitive Landscape - Qualcomm competes with NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD in the AI inference market [5] - NVIDIA offers a robust portfolio for AI inference infrastructure, including products like Blackwell and H200 [5] - Intel has launched the Crescent Island GPU optimized for AI inference workloads, while AMD's MI350 Series GPU has set new benchmarks in generative AI [6][7] Financial Performance - Qualcomm shares have increased by 9.3% over the past year, compared to the industry's growth of 62% [8] - The company's shares trade at a forward price/earnings ratio of 15.73, lower than the industry average of 37.93 [10] - Earnings estimates for 2025 remain unchanged, while estimates for 2026 have improved by 0.25% to $11.91 [11]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "In-Line" for Greater China Technology Semiconductors [2]. Core Insights - The report highlights the growth potential in China's AI semiconductor sector, with a forecasted capital expenditure increase of 62% year-over-year to RMB 373 billion for the top six companies [19]. - TSMC's revenue guidance for Q3 2025 indicates a potential growth of approximately 3% quarter-over-quarter in USD, but a decline of 1.6% in TWD [12]. - The report anticipates that China's local GPU market will significantly expand, with local GPU revenue projected to reach RMB 287 billion by 2027, driven by advancements in SMIC's leading node capacity [33]. Summary by Sections Valuation Comparison - TSMC's target price is set at 1,288 TWD, representing a 19% upside potential, with an estimated P/E ratio of 23.9x for 2024 [8]. - The average EPS growth for the semiconductor sector is projected at 40% for 2024, with a mean P/B ratio of 2.3x [8]. - The memory segment shows a notable upside potential for Giga Device, with a target price of 145.0 CNY, indicating a 20% upside [9]. TSMC Preview - TSMC's Q3 2025 revenue is estimated at NT$ 910 billion, with a gross profit of NT$ 508 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 35.1% [12]. - The gross margin is expected to be 55.8%, while the operating margin is projected at 45.5% [12]. China AI Semiconductor Demand - The report projects that China's GPU self-sufficiency ratio will increase from 34% in 2024 to 82% by 2027, indicating a strong trend towards domestic production [28]. - The total addressable market (TAM) for cloud AI in China is expected to reach USD 48 billion by 2027 [30].

Investment Rating - Industry View: In-Line [5] Core Insights - The semiconductor industry is experiencing unprecedented demand driven by AI advancements and geopolitical tensions [3][5] - China's AI semiconductor market is expected to see significant growth, with local GPU revenue projected to reach Rmb287 billion by 2027 [21][19] - The overall AI semiconductor market is anticipated to deliver over 30% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, with inference AI semiconductors growing at 55% CAGR [78][77] Summary by Sections China AI Semi Demand and Supply - The top six companies' capital expenditures are forecasted to grow 62% YoY to Rmb373 billion [10] - China's GPU self-sufficiency ratio was 34% in 2024 and is expected to reach 82% by 2027 [16] - The total addressable market (TAM) for China's cloud AI is projected to be US$48 billion by 2027 [18] Semiconductor Solutions and Technology Trends - Moore's Law is expected to continue with chip scaling to 3nm/2nm for better power efficiency [78] - Advanced packaging technologies like CoWoS and SoIC are being utilized to increase data speed and memory bandwidth [78] - The EDA market in China is projected to grow at a 12% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, reaching US$3.3 billion [29] Investment Opportunities - AI semiconductors are expected to account for approximately 34% of TSMC's revenue by 2027 [148] - The demand for custom AI semiconductors is increasing, driven by major cloud service providers and tech companies [120][121] - The global semiconductor market size may reach US$1 trillion by 2030, with AI semiconductors being a major growth driver [59]

Core Viewpoint - TSMC is seeking to make a strategic investment in the South Korean chip design startup FuriosaAI, which specializes in AI inference chips and aims to enhance South Korea's AI chip design capabilities [2][3]. Group 1: Investment and Financials - FuriosaAI has been in discussions with TSMC Global since Q4 of the previous year regarding investment terms, which are still undetermined [2]. - The company has raised $115 million from investors including Naver and DSC Investment, but has faced challenges in securing sufficient funding for mass production of its next-generation RNGD chip [3]. - In 2023, FuriosaAI reported an operating loss of 60 billion KRW (approximately $41.6 million) [3]. Group 2: Product Development - FuriosaAI's first product, Warboy, was launched in 2021 using Samsung's 14nm process, while the second product, RNGD, is set for mass production using TSMC's 5nm process in August 2024 [2]. - The performance of RNGD is reported to be similar to Nvidia's L40S inference chip, but with significantly lower power consumption of 150W compared to 350W for Nvidia's chip [3]. Group 3: Market Context and Future Plans - Due to slow economic recovery in South Korea, there are speculations that FuriosaAI may pivot towards being acquired by a larger company, as domestic investment has not met expectations [4]. - FuriosaAI is striving to go public on a major exchange in South Korea within the first half of the year, with Mirae Asset Securities and NH Investment & Securities as lead underwriters [3].