$Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing(TSM)$ $ASML Holding NV(ASML)$ TSMC and ASML have delivered another strong signal for the AI semiconductor cycle. TSMC reported second-quarter revenue of $40.2 billion, a gross margin of 67.7%, and net profit growth of 77.4% year over year. ASML, meanwhile, raised its 2026 revenue outlook from €36 billion–€40 billion to €43 billion–€45 billion, while preparing to expand EUV and immersion DUV capacity again in 2027 and 2028. Together, the two earnings reports confirm that demand for AI chips, advanced process nodes, HBM and semiconductor equipment remains strong. The next question is moving downstream: Can Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Amazo
AI Trade Cools: SOX Drops 4.3%, TSMC Net Profit Surges 77% Yet Closes Lower — Hardware Oversold?
US AI trades broadly sold off Thursday: Nasdaq −1.47%, SOX −4.3%, TSMC closing lower despite Q2 net profit +77% YoY; memory, storage, and chips hit hard as VIX jumped 6.76%. But ASML's raised guidance shows AI-compute demand stays firm. The fear isn't collapsing demand — it's when hyperscaler capex becomes revenue and cash flow. As earnings beats fail to move stocks, the AI trade may be shifting from "chasing hardware" to "validating returns." Profit-taking, or a real capex inflection?
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