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Quick Summary TSMC’s January revenue jumped 37% YoY , beating expectations AI-driven demand  is keeping capacity tight and sales strong Potential US tariff exemptions  could further boost demand from Big Tech Stock is already  up 17% year-to-date What’s Driving TSMC Higher Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co  reported  January revenue of NT$401.6 billion (US$12.7bn) : +20% quarter-on-quarter +37% year-on-year The pace of growth is  ahead of TSMC’s own ~30% full-year growth guidance , reinforcing its central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. AI Demand Keeps Capex Elevated TSMC recently announced: Up to US$56 billion in capex for 2026 , +30% vs last year High investment levels expected for the next three years The spending spree reflects  relentless demand for AI chips , particularly from hyperscalers and data-centre operators. Tariff Relief: A Possible Bonus According to the  Financial Times ,  major US tech firms may be exempt ...

A Reuters report that  Samsung Electronics  is preparing to ship next-generation  HBM4 memory  to  NVIDIA  has stirred concerns about competitive pressure on  Micron Technology . But for investors, this looks  more like a headline risk than a thesis break . What’s the News? (In Plain Terms) Samsung is reportedly  ready to start producing HBM4 chips  as early as next month Initial shipments to Nvidia could begin soon HBM4 is the  next upgrade cycle  after today’s HBM3/3E used in AI accelerators This confirms that  Samsung is back in the HBM race  after lagging SK Hynix and Micron earlier in the AI cycle. Does This Hurt Micron? Short Answer: Not Much (Yet) 1.  HBM Is Supply-Constrained, Not Demand-Constrained AI chipmakers (Nvidia, AMD, custom silicon players) are buying  every HBM chip they can secure . This is not a “winner takes all” market — it’s a  “everyone sells out” market . Even if Samsung qualif...

 Intel, AMD and Texas Instruments are facing a series of lawsuits in Texas accusing them of  failing to prevent their chips from ending up in Russian weapons  used in attacks against Ukrainian civilians. A Berkshire Hathaway-owned distributor was also named in the filings. Ukrainian Civilians File Five Lawsuits The suits, brought by U.S. mass-tort lawyer  Mikal Watts  and law firm  Baker & Hostetler , claim the chipmakers showed  “willful ignorance”  as restricted components were resold by third parties into Russia and Iran, violating U.S. sanctions. The lawsuits cite  five attacks between 2023 and 2025 , involving: Iranian-made drones containing components linked to  Intel  and  AMD Russian  KH-101 cruise missiles  and  Iskander ballistic missiles  containing U.S.-made chips “These companies know their chip technology is making its way into Russia,” Watts said at a press conference. Companies Say They C...

Chinese regulators have called in Nvidia representatives to address  alleged security vulnerabilities  in its H20 artificial intelligence chips, marking a new flashpoint in U.S.-China tech tensions. Allegations: The Cyberspace Administration of China cited concerns over  location tracking  and  remote shutdown capabilities in the H20 chips. Authorities asked Nvidia to provide explanations and supporting documents. Nvidia has not publicly confirmed the chips have such functions and has yet to comment. Trade Context: The move comes shortly after a  Stockholm trade summit , where U.S.-China relations appeared to improve. The H20 chip had been  banned in April  by the Trump administration but was recently cleared for sale in China under updated U.S. trade rules. Market Impact: Nvidia and AMD only recently resumed selling certain AI chips in China after receiving U.S. approval. U.S. lawmakers criticized the decision, warning it could boost China’s mili...

Key Highlights: Three-Year Modem Rollout Plan: First Modem Launch: Apple's in-house modem system will debut in Spring 2025 with the iPhone SE , its entry-level smartphone. Mid-Tier and iPads: Scheduled to appear in mid-tier iPhones (2025) and lower-end iPads. Ambitious Goal: Apple aims to overtake Qualcomm's modem technology by 2027 . Development Journey: Apple invested billions of dollars to set up global testing labs and acquired Intel’s modem group for $1 billion . Challenges: Early prototypes faced issues like being too large, overheating, and lacking power efficiency. Current Limitations of Apple Modem (Sinope): Lacks mmWave 5G technology seen in Qualcomm’s modems, limiting speeds in high-end models. Initial deployment focused on lower-tier devices to mitigate risks of dropped calls or connectivity issues. Implications for Qualcomm: Apple accounts for 20% of Qualcomm’s revenue . Shares of Qualcomm dropped 2%, while component supplier Qorvo saw a 6% decline. Future Pl...

The Biden administration is finalizing   additional restrictions   on   semiconductor equipment   and   AI memory chip sales   to China, escalating its tech crackdown while softening earlier proposals, according to insiders. The measures could be announced as early as next week. Key Details of the Proposal: Targeted Sanctions: Focuses on  two chip factories  owned by  Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp  (SMIC) and over  100 Chinese companies  involved in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc , a major AI memory chip developer, is notably omitted from the  entity list . Huawei Suppliers: The US plans to sanction some, but not all, of the  six suppliers  tied to  Huawei Technologies Co , a telecom leader central to China's tech strategy. Exemptions for Allies: Japan and the Netherlands are exempt from the  Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR)  provisions, a...