TSMC Rally Lifts Asian Chip Stocks as AI Demand Fuels $150B Expansion Plan
TSMC shares surged 6.9% to a record after Goldman Sachs raised its price target by 35%, citing AI as a multi-year growth driver. The rally propelled Taiwan's Taiex above 30,000 for the first time, with Deputy Finance Minister Juan Ching-hwa noting the milestone 'seemed almost impossible' until recently.
Goldman analysts highlighted TSMC's improving margins and plans to spend $150 billion over three years to expand capacity. The chipmaker, a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, has become a bellwether for Asian semiconductor stocks.
Samsung extended gains for a fifth session ahead of earnings, while Tokyo Electron and Advantest jumped 7% in Japan. Chinese chipmakers advanced after the national semiconductor fund increased stakes in SMIC.