This weekly newsletter pulls together summaries of the top ten most-read Insights across Tech Hardware and Semiconductor on Smartkarma.
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1. TSMC (2330.TT; TSM.US): U.S. Stocks Plunged on October 10 Under Heavy Selling Pressure.
- U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on China.
- Facing the escalation of the U.S.–China tariff war, U.S. stocks plunged on October 10 under heavy selling pressure.
- Facing the escalation of the U.S.–China tariff war, U.S. stocks plunged on October 10 under heavy selling pressure.
2. Taiwan Dual-Listings Monitor: TSMC Set Up Opportunity During Taiwan Sesssion Ahead of Results Today
- TSMC: +27.3% Premium; Opportunity to Set Up ADR Spread Short During Taiwan Session
- UMC: +2.0% Premium; Wait for Slightly Higher Premium Before Opening Spread Short
- ASE: +2.6% Premium; Wait for More Extreme Swing Before Going Long or Short
3. Nvidia (NVDA.US): Problems Encountered in Land Acquisition to Establish Offshore Headquarters.
- NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US) is setting up an offshore headquarters in Taipei, and is currently in the process of acquiring land.
- Taiwan’s central government is currently ruled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while Taipei City is governed by a mayor from the Kuomintang (KMT), creating political complications.
- Politics often takes precedence over economics, yet in a democracy, politics is driven by competing parties—inevitably leading to conflicts of interest.
4. TSMC (2330.TT; TSM.US): 4Q25 Outlook Slightly Softer; US Fab to Dilute GM; AI Remains Key Driver.
- For 4Q25, revenue guidance is US$32.2–33.4 billion, equivalent to NT$985.3–1,022.0 billion (based on an assumed FX rate of 30.6).
- N2 will begin mass production later this quarter with good yields, and volume will ramp in 2026 driven by both smartphone and HPC/AI applications
- Smartphone inventory has returned to seasonally healthy levels, with no signs of early pull-ins.
5. Why TSMC 3Q25 Indicates Strong AI Accelerator Demand Through 2029E; Maintain Structural Long Rating
- TSMC 3Q25: Margins Surge as Pricing Power Strengthens Ahead of 2nm Ramp
- AI Megatrend Continues to Reshape Demand – 40% CAGR Expected for AI Accelerators Through 2029
- Maintain Structural Long Rating — TSMC Remains Inexpensive vs. Tech Companies Highly Dependent on It
6. First AMD, Now Broadcom. How OpenAI Is Ruining NVIDIA’s Party
- OpenAI just signed a deal with Broadcom to deploy ten gigawatts of OpenAI designed AI accelerators targeted to start in H2 2026, and to complete by end of 2029.
- OpenAI’s AMD & Broadcom deals undermine the credibility of the NVIDIA deal. Where exactly is all the money going to come from?
- In partnering with AMD and Broadcom, OpenAI has given huge credibility to AMD as a GPU competitor and Broadcom as a custom accelerator competitor. Two big headaches for NVIDIA. Ouch!
7. Memory Monitor: Nanya Tech Indicates DRAM Price Spike to Persist Longer; SK Hynix Relative Trade
- Nanya Tech 3Q25: Rebounds to Profit Thanks to DDR4 Price Surge Windfall… But Underlying Structural Drivers Remain Unsteady
- The World’s DDR4 Shortage to Extends Pricing Spike Through 4Q25
- Nanya Technology vs SK Hynix — We Expect Relative Strength Ahead for SK Hynix Over Nanya Tech
8. Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC’s Market Share Keeps Rising; Semi Revenues Show AI the Only Pillar; AI PCs
- TSMC’s Grip Tightens: 2Q25 Market Share Hits New Heights; September Revenue Implies Even More Taken
- TSMC (2330.TT; TSM.US): U.S. Stocks Plunged on October 10 Under Heavy Selling Pressure.
- PC Monitor: Dell Doubles Multi-Year Forecasts; AI PC Up-Cycle, Art Thou Finally Here?
9. MediaTek (2454.TT): 4Q25 Expected to Be Flat QoQ; D9600 Mass Production Scheduled for Late 2026.
- Mediatek Inc (2454 TT)’s 4Q25 performance is expected to remain roughly flat QoQ, compared with 3Q25.
- Based on the product launch cycles of major smartphone manufacturers, by the end of 2026, the 2nm process will be adopted in multiple flagship chips
- At the China Mobile Global Partner Conference on October 10, MediaTek showcased a range of its latest products
10. Semiconductor WFE. China Retains #1 Spending Slot In Q225, US Mulls Yet Further Sweeping Sanctions
- Q225 WFE billing amounted to $33 billion, up 24% YoY and up 3% QoQ. China was the biggest spender with billings of $11.36 billion, +11% QoQ, albeit down 7% YoY
- A US select committee on China WFE spending, published on October 7 last, highlights multiple gaps with existing US restrictions on China WFE and proposes nine separate remedies
- Remedies include sweeping China country-wide bans, bans on related components, consumables & deploying “incentives & leverage” with allies so they follow suit. Still wondering about China’s surprise rare earth move?
