Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC's profit soars 60% in 1st quarter

ISTANBUL

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer, saw its profits rise by 60.3% year on year in the first quarter of 2025.

The firm's profit increased to 361.56 billion new Taiwan dollars (approximately $11.12 billion) in the first quarter of this year, according to TSMC's financial results released on Thursday.

TSMC's net sales also grew by 41.3% during the same period to $25.8 billion.

Both net sales and profit figures exceeded forecasts made by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).

LSEG projected $25.7 billion in revenue and $10.9 billion in profit for the first quarter of 2025.

The company's strong profit growth was driven by rising demand for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications around the world.

“Our business in the first quarter was impacted by smartphone seasonality, partially offset by continued growth in AI-related demand,” TSMC Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said.

“Moving into the second quarter 2025, we expect our business to be supported by strong demand for our industry-leading 3nm and 5nm technologies."

“While we have not seen any changes in our customers’ behavior so far, uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist. We will continue to closely monitor the potential impact on the end market demand, and manage our business prudently," he added.

TSMC's biggest customers include major US AI and technology companies Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm.

While US President Donald Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffs on imported products, TSMC announced last month that it would invest $100 billion to build semiconductor plants in the US, bringing its total investments in the country to $165 billion.