Australia Jobs Surge in June Strengthens Case for More RBA Rate Hikes 
Japan Manufacturing Growth Holds Strong in July Despite Middle East Uncertainty 
Global Leaders Push Back as Trump Imposes New Forced Labor Tariffs 
BOJ Seen Holding Rates at 1% While Keeping Inflation Risk Warning 
Trump Says No Decision on Major Iran Strikes as U.S.-Tehran Talks Intensify 
Gold Price Holds Weekly Gain as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Outlook Drive Market 
Iran Rejects U.S.-Backed Ceasefire as Trump Escalates Military Threats, Oil Tops $100 
European Stocks Flat as Oil Tops $100, Trump Tariffs Fuel Inflation Fears 
Trump Threatens Iran With 'Major Military Punishment' as Red Sea Attacks Push Oil Above $100 
Asian Stocks Slide as Oil Tops $100, Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Fears 
Europe Economy Faces Recession Risk as Energy Costs and Weak Manufacturing Weigh on Growth 
Japan’s Nikkei Slides Over 2% as Alphabet Selloff Sparks AI Spending Concerns 
Oil Prices Rise as Houthi Attacks on Saudi Tankers Heighten Middle East Supply Fears 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Fed Decision, Earnings and Tariffs Keep Investors on Edge 
Oil Prices Head for Weekly Surge as Red Sea Attacks and Kazakhstan Supply Cuts Raise Disruption Fears 
US Dollar Posts Best Weekly Gain in Over a Month as Middle East Tensions Boost Safe-Haven Demand 
TSMC's Q3 Profit Exceeds Expectations Amid Strong AI Demand
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) the world’s largest contract chipmaker, posted stronger-than-expected earnings for the third quarter, driven by booming demand for its advanced chips from the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
Record Q3 Profit Surpasses Estimates
TSMC reported a net profit\ of T$325.26 billion ($10.1 billion) for the quarter ending September 30, surpassing Reuters' estimate of T$300.2 billion. Revenue reached T$759.69 billion, marking a 39% year-on-year increase, thanks to rising sales of its cutting-edge 3-nanometer chips, which contributed 20% to total wafer revenue.
AI Demand Offsets Weak Consumer Electronics Sector
While demand for AI chips surged\, the company faced a 19% quarter-on-quarter drop in revenue from its digital consumer electronics sector, which includes chips for devices like smart TVs and cameras. However, this decline was largely offset by the growth in its high-performance computing (HPC) unit, which serves as a key driver for AI applications.
Key Clients and Industry Trends
TSMC’s major clients include tech giants such as Apple Inc. and NVIDIA Corporation, with the latter being a major buyer of AI chips. The company's robust earnings come amid a broader industry shift, highlighted by a weaker outlook from semiconductor equipment maker ASML, which cited slowing demand in non-AI sectors.
TSMC continues to play a pivotal role in the global chip supply chain, benefiting significantly from the ongoing AI boom.
