TSMC's Q1 Revenue Rise Beats Market Expectations on AI Boom

FILE PHOTO: A logo of Taiwanse chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Taiwanse chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
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TSMC's Q1 Revenue Rise Beats Market Expectations on AI Boom

FILE PHOTO: A logo of Taiwanse chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Taiwanse chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo

Taiwan chipmaker TSMC reported a 16.5% rise in first-quarter revenue on Wednesday, beating market expectations and at the high end of the company's own guidance as its sales boom on demand for artificial intelligence applications.
The world's largest contract chipmaker, whose customers include Apple and Nvidia, has benefited from a surge towards AI that has helped it weather the tapering off of pandemic-led demand and pushed TSMC's stock to a record high, Reuters reported.
Revenue in the first three months of this year came in at T$592.64 billion ($18.54 billion), up from $16.72 billion in the year-ago period.
That was towards the higher end of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) previous prediction for first-quarter revenue to range between $18 billion and $18.8 billion.
The result beat an LSEG SmartEstimate of T$581.45 billion drawn from 23 analysts, weighted toward those who are more consistently accurate.
The first half of the year is traditionally quieter for Taiwanese tech firms, coming after the end-of-year holiday rush for goods like tablets and smartphones in major Western markets, but the AI trend is boosting demand even in the off season.
For March alone, TSMC reported revenue rose 34.3% year-on-year to T$195.21 billion and was up 7.5% from the previous month.
TSMC, Asia's most valuable publicly listed company with a market capitalization of $662 billion, did not provide any details or forward guidance in its brief revenue statement.
It is scheduled to report first quarter earnings on April 18, where it will also update its outlook for the current quarter and the year.
TSMC is expected to report a 4% rise in first quarter net profit, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate.
TSMC's Taipei-listed shares closed down 0.5% on Wednesday ahead of the release of the sales data. The broader market ended down 0.2%.
The chipmaker's shares have surged 37% so far this year, compared with a 16% gain for the broader market.



Mawani Adds FRS1 Shipping Service to Jeddah Islamic Port, Boosts Global Connectivity

Mawani Adds FRS1 Shipping Service to Jeddah Islamic Port, Boosts Global Connectivity
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Mawani Adds FRS1 Shipping Service to Jeddah Islamic Port, Boosts Global Connectivity

Mawani Adds FRS1 Shipping Service to Jeddah Islamic Port, Boosts Global Connectivity

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced the addition of CStar Line's new Far East-Red Sea service (FRS1) to Jeddah Islamic Port to enhance the port's competitiveness, expand its maritime network, boost operational efficiency, and solidify its position as a strategic logistics hub on the Red Sea.

The FRS1 service connects Jeddah Islamic Port to five regional and international ports: Ningbo, Shanghai, and Nansha in China; Aqaba in Jordan; and Ain Sokhna in Egypt.

According to SPA, it has a capacity of up to 2,000 TEUs.

This move is part of Mawani's efforts to improve the Kingdom's ranking in global performance indicators and support national export activity.

It aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to establish Saudi Arabia as a global logistics center and a hub connecting three continents.