Asia and Global Semiconductor and Tech Research

Andrew Lu

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Y/Y improvement for LCD, PMIC, GaAs RF, gaming card, cooling system, semi equipment&amp;material, semi fab construction, memory, and foundry vendors but more y/y deterioration for WiFi and CMOS sensor vendors</li>
<li>After 6 vendors beating consensus, we might see AI server supply chain, large panel LCD driver, WiFi/networking, and NAND flash vendors in US to report a better than expected 1Q24.</li>
<li>We might see 8"/12" raw wafer (like Shin Etsu, SUMCO , National Silicon Industry, Siltronic AG) vendors in Japan, China, and Germany to report a worse than expected 1Q24.</li>
</ul>


Y/Y improvement for LCD, PMIC, GaAs RF, gaming card, cooling system, semi equipment&amp;material, semi fab construction, memory, and foundry vendors but more y/y deterioration for WiFi and CMOS sensor vendors
After 6 vendors beating consensus, we might see AI server supply chain, large panel LCD driver, WiFi/networking, and NAND flash vendors in US to report a better than expected 1Q24.
We might see 8"/12" raw wafer (like Shin Etsu, SUMCO , National Silicon Industry, Siltronic AG) vendors in Japan, China, and Germany to report a worse than expected 1Q24.


Early Signs from the Reported March/1Q24 Taiwan Semi/Tech Sales

Managing Director, Zero One, Zero One

Vincent Fernando, CFA

Managing Director, Zero One

Zero One

Founded in 2015, Zero One produces independent investment research and provides corporate finance advisory services with a focus on both listed and private technology companies. Founder Vincent Fernando has over 20 years of experience in US and Asia capital markets.

Independent Investment Research

Equity Bottom-Up

Hon Hai Precision Industry / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>COMPUTEX 2026's first AI Robotics Zone showcased Taiwan's pitch:  supply enabling Physical AI solutions — motion, reducers, vision,  edge-AI compute — rather than build robot brands, echoing its semiconductor  playbook.</li>
<li>Commercially, the floor ran on robot arms and wheeled-base units for  manufacturing and logistics, plus edge-AI compute and machine vision; bipedal humanoids were mostly showpieces, with volume three-to-five years out.</li>
<li>High-Precision reducers remain a Japanese stronghold (Harmonic Drive  6324 JP, Nabtesco 6268 JP), but listed Taiwanese names are climbing: Turvo  (2233 TT) debuted a micro harmonic reducer at the show.</li>
</ul>


COMPUTEX 2026's first AI Robotics Zone showcased Taiwan's pitch:  supply enabling Physical AI solutions — motion, reducers, vision,  edge-AI compute — rather than build robot brands, echoing its semiconductor  playbook.
Commercially, the floor ran on robot arms and wheeled-base units for  manufacturing and logistics, plus edge-AI compute and machine vision; bipedal humanoids were mostly showpieces, with volume three-to-five years out.
High-Precision reducers remain a Japanese stronghold (Harmonic Drive  6324 JP, Nabtesco 6268 JP), but listed Taiwanese names are climbing: Turvo  (2233 TT) debuted a micro harmonic reducer at the show.


TechChain Insights: COMPUTEX 2026 -- On the Ground with Physical AI's New Supply Chain

Technology / Semiconductor / Internet Research

Nicolas Baratte

<ul>
<li>AI Accelerators (Nvidia and AMD GPU, hyperscalers’ chips) receive a lot of attention. AI rack assemblers, the companies that turn GPU into systems are equally interesting – and concentrated.</li>
<li>They are mostly Taiwanese firms: Hon Hai, Quanta, Wistron, Wiwynn and module makers like Accton. Growth of the top suppliers is impressive, stocks aren’t expensive.</li>
<li>2 different markets: hyperscalers customized racks, and Nvidia standard products. It is possible that standard racks that go into AI data centers or “AI factory” will outgrow hyperscalers’ spending.</li>
</ul>


AI Accelerators (Nvidia and AMD GPU, hyperscalers’ chips) receive a lot of attention. AI rack assemblers, the companies that turn GPU into systems are equally interesting – and concentrated.
They are mostly Taiwanese firms: Hon Hai, Quanta, Wistron, Wiwynn and module makers like Accton. Growth of the top suppliers is impressive, stocks aren’t expensive.
2 different markets: hyperscalers customized racks, and Nvidia standard products. It is possible that standard racks that go into AI data centers or “AI factory” will outgrow hyperscalers’ spending.


AI Servers: The Big System Designers / Assemblers in Taiwan

<ul>
<li>IDC reported 3Q24 PC shipments declining -2% YoY, Canalys an increase of +1%. Let’s call this flat. If 4Q24 is “average seasonal”, 2024 will reach ~265m, or the pre-Covid range. </li>
<li>No AI fever, no accelerated replacement cycle, for now. If it happens, it will take time, ie compelling AI apps that only run locally and need a new PC.</li>
<li>In Asia, PC vendors: Lenovo, Acer, Asus. Taiwan ODM: Compal, Quanta, Wistron. Semi with high exposure: Novatek, Realtek. </li>
</ul>


IDC reported 3Q24 PC shipments declining -2% YoY, Canalys an increase of +1%. Let’s call this flat. If 4Q24 is “average seasonal”, 2024 will reach ~265m, or the pre-Covid range. 
No AI fever, no accelerated replacement cycle, for now. If it happens, it will take time, ie compelling AI apps that only run locally and need a new PC.
In Asia, PC vendors: Lenovo, Acer, Asus. Taiwan ODM: Compal, Quanta, Wistron. Semi with high exposure: Novatek, Realtek. 


3Q24 PC Shipments Are Flat YoY. Lenovo, Acer, Asus. Compal, Quanta, Wistron.

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) / Equity Bottom-Up

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) (TSM US)

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

<ul>
<li>Top Gainers/Loser: Taiwan Tech Stocks Hit Hard Last Week By Global AI/Tech Pullback</li>
<li>Key Events This Week: Major Earnings Week Including UMC, Mediatek, Realtek, AMD, Microsoft</li>
<li>TechChain Insights: Call with Silicon Motion; QLC NAND Emerging as Key Enabler for AI Devices </li>
</ul>


Top Gainers/Loser: Taiwan Tech Stocks Hit Hard Last Week By Global AI/Tech Pullback
Key Events This Week: Major Earnings Week Including UMC, Mediatek, Realtek, AMD, Microsoft
TechChain Insights: Call with Silicon Motion; QLC NAND Emerging as Key Enabler for AI Devices 


Taiwan Tech Weekly: Hit Hard By AI/Tech Pullback; Watch UMC, Mediatek, Realtek, AMD, MSFT Earnings

Taiwan

Wistron Corporation manufactures and markets notebook computers, personal computers, and other related information products.

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Wistron Corp (3231 TT)

Early Signs from the Reported March/1Q24 Taiwan Semi/Tech Sales

Early Signs from the Reported March/1Q24 Taiwan Semi/Tech Sales; we might see AI server, WiFi/networking, and NAND vendors in US to beat 1Q24 but...

Andrew Lu

TechChain Insights: COMPUTEX 2026 -- On the Ground with Physical AI's New Supply Chain

Taiwan's focus at COMPUTEX 2026's AI Robotics Zone is on supplying enabling Physical AI solutions rather than building robot brands, echoing its...

Vincent Fernando, CFA

AI Servers: The Big System Designers / Assemblers in Taiwan

Taiwanese AI rack assemblers are gaining attention for turning GPUs into systems, showing impressive growth in the AI server rack market. Stocks...

Nicolas Baratte

3Q24 PC Shipments Are Flat YoY. Lenovo, Acer, Asus. Compal, Quanta, Wistron.

3Q24 PC shipments are flat YoY. The great recovery or AI replacement cycle aren’t happening (for now). IDC reported 3Q24 PC shipments declining -2%...

Nicolas Baratte

Taiwan Tech Weekly: Hit Hard By AI/Tech Pullback; Watch UMC, Mediatek, Realtek, AMD, MSFT Earnings

A recap of last week's gainers and losers plus key events to watch out for this week and recently published research pieces.

Vincent Fernando, CFA

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Early Signs from the Reported March/1Q24 Taiwan Semi/Tech Sales

Early Signs from the Reported March/1Q24 Taiwan Semi/Tech Sales; we might see AI server, WiFi/networking, and NAND vendors in US to beat 1Q24 but...

Andrew Lu

TechChain Insights: COMPUTEX 2026 -- On the Ground with Physical AI's New Supply Chain

​Taiwan's focus at COMPUTEX 2026's AI Robotics Zone is on supplying enabling Physical AI solutions rather than building robot brands, echoing its...

Vincent Fernando, CFA

AI Servers: The Big System Designers / Assemblers in Taiwan

​Taiwanese AI rack assemblers are gaining attention for turning GPUs into systems, showing impressive growth in the AI server rack market. Stocks...

Nicolas Baratte

3Q24 PC Shipments Are Flat YoY. Lenovo, Acer, Asus. Compal, Quanta, Wistron.

3Q24 PC shipments are flat YoY. The great recovery or AI replacement cycle aren’t happening (for now). IDC reported 3Q24 PC shipments declining -2%...

Nicolas Baratte

Taiwan Tech Weekly: Hit Hard By AI/Tech Pullback; Watch UMC, Mediatek, Realtek, AMD, MSFT Earnings

A recap of last week's gainers and losers plus key events to watch out for this week and recently published research pieces.

Vincent Fernando, CFA

Taiwan's focus at COMPUTEX 2026's AI Robotics Zone is on supplying enabling Physical AI solutions rather than building robot brands, echoing its...

Taiwanese AI rack assemblers are gaining attention for turning GPUs into systems, showing impressive growth in the AI server rack market. Stocks...