TSMC Q3 revenue jumps 50.9% on AI chip demand, sixth straight record

Despite the strong earnings, Asian chipmakers extended Wall Street losses on Thursday amid concerns over further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and AI funding worries. South Korea's SK Hynix plunged more than 10% on the KRX, while Samsung Electronics fell 8.73%, per CNBC.

In Japan, SoftBank Group tumbled 7.9%, Advantest plunged almost 14%, and Tokyo Electron lost 6.45%. Taiwan's TSMC fell 1.81%. The sell-off followed hotter-than-expected US inflation data that fueled fears of further Fed rate hikes, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping 1.88% on Wednesday.

Analysts remain divided. Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives called the pullback a buying opportunity, saying "rates are a financing question, not a demand question," while Broadcom and Intel CEOs warned that financing could become a major headwind to AI expansion. Concerns over memory chip oversupply as early as 2029 also weighed on sentiment.

TSMC's record results confirm that AI chip demand remains strong, which likely means continued investment in advanced chips for phones, PCs, and data centers. For Tunisian readers, this does not directly affect device prices, but it signals that new AI-capable hardware will keep coming.

TSMC's planned $265 billion investment in Arizona, and a possible expansion to Texas, could reshape global chip supply over time. However, no specific impact on Tunisian availability or pricing has been announced yet.