Chip manufacturing: TSMC breaks one trillion Taiwan dollars for the first time
The world's largest chip contract manufacturer TSMC continues to grow non-stop. The figures also show that chip prices are rising.
(Image: Andreas Wodrich / heise medien)
For the first time in its corporate history, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has achieved revenues exceeding one trillion Taiwan dollars. The figure stands at 1,046 trillion, which equates to 33.7 billion US dollars. Almost half of this remains as net profit: 16.3 billion US dollars.
Revenue growth differs between currencies due to exchange rate developments. In US dollars, it's +25.5 percent compared to the previous year and +1.9 percent compared to the previous quarter. In Taiwan dollars, TSMC reports +20.5 percent and +5.7 percent, respectively.
The financial report once again shows that TSMC earns more money per chip manufactured. Net profit is increasing more than revenue. In US dollars, it's +8 percent within three months, and in Taiwan dollars, +11.8 percent. Simultaneously, the gross margin is rising to 62.3 percent; the operating margin to 54 percent.
Nvidia, in particular, keeps 5 nm revenue high
The increase is primarily driven by AI accelerators, such as those from AMD and Nvidia. They are fueling growth in the High-Performance Computing (HPC) segment, which TSMC defines as all processors, graphics chips, and other accelerators from notebook class upwards. HPC is growing by 48 percent year-on-year, accounting for 58 percent of revenue.
TSMCs Umsatz aufgeschlĂĽsselt (4 Bilder)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
)The 5-nanometer generation remains TSMC's highest-revenue manufacturing class. This also includes chips with improved N4 technology, which, for example, Nvidia still uses for its AI accelerators today. Currently, the 5 nm share is 35 percent. The 3 nm share is growing to 28 percent, largely driven by Apple, Intel, Qualcomm, and Mediatek as presumably the largest customers.
TSMC is currently ramping up mass production with 2 nm structures, but it is not yet reflected in the financial report. A major customer for this will be AMD with its Epyc processors and Instinct accelerators.
From the figures, it can be calculated that TSMC earns around 85 percent of its revenue from chip manufacturing. The remainder is mainly generated through so-called advanced packaging, where multiple chips are placed on a common substrate.
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Stock market delighted
In the first quarter of 2026, TSMC expects revenues between 34.6 billion and 35.8 billion US dollars. The gross margin is projected to increase to 63 to 65 percent. The stock market is reacting positively to the financial report: the share price has risen by more than five percent since its announcement.
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