TSMC second-quarter profit seen jumping 30% on surging AI chip demand

TSMC Earnings: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, main producer of vanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications, is expected to report a 30% rise in second-quarter profit on Thursday thanks to soaring demand.

world's largest contract chipmaker, whose customers include Apple AAPL.O and Nvidia NVDA.O, has benefited from a surge towards AI that has pushed TSMC's stock - and broer Taiwan market .TWII - to record highs. Last week, its American Depositary Receipts TSM.N topped a trillion dollar market value.

TSMC is set to report a net profit of T$236.1 billion ($7.25 billion) for quarter ended June 30, according to a LSEG SmartEstimate drawn from 20 analysts. SmartEstimates give greater weighting to forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

That estimate compares to 2023 second-quarter net profit of T$181.8 billion.

TSMC last week reported a jump in second-quarter revenue, comfortably beating market expectations.

"I expect third quarter outlook for all of ir products to be very good," said President Capital Management Co Chairman Li Fang-kuo.

TSMC, at its quarterly earnings call at 0600 GMT on Thursday, will update its outlook for current quarter as well as for full year, including its capital expenditure as it races to expand production.

TSMC is spending billions building new factories overseas, including $65 billion on three plants in U.S. state of Arizona, though it says most manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.

On its last earnings call in April, TSMC maintained its guidance for capital spending this year at $28 billion to $32 billion, compared with last year's $30.45 billion, and said 70% to 80% of that would go towards vanced technologies.

"TSMC could raise ir capital spending," said KGI Securities Investment visory Co Chairman Chu Yen-min. "re are many positive factors which will help ir stock price and support broer market."

AI boom has helped drive up price of shares in Asia's most valuable company, with TSMC's Taipei-listed stock leaping 75% so far this year to historic highs, compared with a 33% gain for broer market.

TSMC, colloquially referred to "sacred mountain protecting country" for its critical role in Taiwan's export-dependent economy, faces little competition, though both IntelINTC.O and Samsung005930.KS are trying to challenge that dominance.