The Taiwanese chip maker currently dominates the world of semiconductors with resources its rivals cannot match. But it is not without its challenges.
techmonitor.ai, Feb. 01, 2022 –
Though the decorations had long since been packed away, January saw the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) deliver a late Christmas present to its shareholders in the form of a bumper crop of financial results.
TSMC reported revenue of $15.7bn for the three months to December 2021, with profits of $6bn, beating most analysts expectations. With forecasts of further growth in the coming quarter, the news was enough to send the company's share price rocketing to a record high of 683 Taiwanese dollars ($24.57 US).
As the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, TSMC has been riding the wave of the global chip shortage, with customers lining up to grab a slice of its in-demand chip foundry, or fab, capacity. And the company is keen for this to continue, and used its call with investors to outline plans for between $40-$44bn of capital investment (it spent $30bn in 2021), in Taiwan and beyond, to ensure its market dominance continues.