Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) revenue climbed 39.2 percent year-on-year in the first two months, quickening from last year in a sign of resilient demand for the Nvidia Corp chips that power artificial intelligence (AI) development.
The world’s largest chipmaker reported combined revenue for the first two months of NT$553.3 billion (US$16.81 billion). That compares with 34 percent growth for the whole of last year.
Last month alone, TSMC reported revenue of NT$260.01 billion, up 43.1 percent from a year earlier, but down 11.3 percent from a month earlier. Last month’s figure represented the company’s highest-ever sales for February.
Photo: Rebecca Noble, Bloomberg
Analysts said TSMC could still see its revenue increase to NT$266.7 billion or higher this month to achieve its first-quarter sales goal, which the company projected between NT$820 billion and NT$846.24 billion.
As the manufacturer of most of the AI chips in the world, TSMC’s sales are a barometer for the sector. Wall Street and Silicon Valley are now debating the sustainability of an AI frenzy that made Nvidia the world’s most valuable company, especially after China’s DeepSeek (深度求索) appeared to demonstrate a more frugal approach.
Last week, Broadcom Inc became the latest big tech firm to offer reassurance that spending on AI computing remains healthy. Before that, Taiwanese bellwether Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) posted a 24.63 percent rise in revenue during the first two months of this year, also accelerating from last year.
A major uncertainty TSMC faces this year is whether US President Donald Trump would slap tariffs on chip imports. TSMC might have benefited from front-loading or stockpiling ahead of that potential move.
Last week, TSMC CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) joined Trump in the White House to outline an additional US$100 billion investment.
The move was widely viewed as intended to stave off tariffs, although it raised concerns that advanced technology could be moving away from Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
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