TSMC reports record $32.5B Q3 sales as demand for AI chips remains strong

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, has reported a 30% increase in sales for the third quarter. This upswing in sales has resulted from the growing demand for AI as the tech company continues to make billions of dollars in investments in the technology.

This announcement followed the tech giant’s release of its monthly sales data for the three months ending in September, which highlighted a record revenue of NT$989.9 billion, equivalent to approximately $32.5 billion.

The record surpasses analysts’ earlier prediction, as they had anticipated an average of NT$962.8 billion. 

TSMC sees significant increase in sales amid increased AI adoption rate

The Taiwanese tech company has solidified its position as a key supplier of AI chips, supplying these semiconductor devices to leading tech firms such as Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and Broadcom Inc. Additionally, it manufactures processors for Apple’s iPhones and other devices.

Meanwhile, US tech companies such as Nvidia and OpenAI have been investing billions in the AI ecosystem to enhance their cloud computing capabilities. TSMC management has taken this strategy as a major driver for long-term growth.

Although recent concerns about “circular” agreements among these firms bear the markings of a bubble starting to form, TSMC’s latest sales figures show that the AI momentum remains steady.

The Taiwanese company will publish the results for the third quarter of the year on October 16. 

Nvidia and OpenAI’s deal raises concerns in the tech industry 

Earlier, Nvidia had agreed to a significant investment of about $100 billion in OpenAI to help the leading AI startup develop data centers with the ability to power a large city. OpenAI, in return, pledged to use Nvidia’s chips in these data centers.

Some observers were quick to criticize the deal for being too “circular.” However, this did not stop OpenAI from moving forward. Interestingly, the San Francisco AI company made a similar deal with AMD, Nvidia’s rival. 

In this agreement, OpenAI agreed to utilize tens of billions of dollars’ worth of the company’s chips as it is set to become one of the largest shareholders of AMD as part of the partnership.

Notably, this is the first time in history that such a substantial amount of money has been invested in a technology that is still largely unproven for generating profits, despite possessing considerable potential for doing so. These investments typically originate from two major entities: Nvidia and OpenAI. 

In the meantime, sources have highlighted that the recent surge in deals between the two tech giants raises concerns that their complex business relationships may artificially inflate a trillion-dollar market for AI. 

Nearly every sector of the economy is affected, as the excitement and expansion of AI infrastructure spread across various markets, including debt, equity, real estate, and energy. 

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