GFS downgraded at Morgan Stanley on potential pricing pressure from TSMC, China By Investing.com
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 28 2024
0mins
Source: Investing.com
Morgan Stanley Downgrade: Morgan Stanley downgraded Global Foundries to Equal Weight due to anticipated wafer pricing pressures from competitors like TSMC and Chinese foundries, leading to a projected decline in market share and utilization rates.
Price Target Adjustments: The firm has revised its price target for Global Foundries from $53 to $43, citing slower recovery in key sectors and increased competition, while also downgrading UMC's rating and price target.
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Analyst Views on TSM
Wall Street analysts forecast TSM stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for TSM is 313.46 USD with a low forecast of 63.24 USD and a high forecast of 390.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
8 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 330.730
Low
63.24
Averages
313.46
High
390.00
Current: 330.730
Low
63.24
Averages
313.46
High
390.00
About TSM
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd is a Taiwan-based integrated circuit foundry service provider. The Company is primarily engaged in integrated circuit manufacturing services. It offers advanced process technologies, specialised process solutions, advanced photomask and silicon stacking, and packaging-related technologies, while supporting a comprehensive design ecosystem. The Company's products serve diverse electronic sectors including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, wired and wireless communications, automotive and industrial equipment, personal computing, information applications, consumer electronics, smart internet of things, and wearable devices.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Strong Profit Margins: The company reported a profit margin of 48.3%, indicating its competitive advantage in high-end chip manufacturing, effectively controlling costs while achieving high returns.
- Advanced Process Technology: In 2023, over half of TSMC's revenue came from chips larger than 7nm, with significant increases in the production of 3nm and 5nm chips, as 3nm chips accounted for 28% of total shipments, showcasing ongoing investment in technological innovation.
- Robust Market Demand: With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technologies, TSMC is experiencing increasing customer demand, solidifying its status as the world's largest chip foundry and is expected to benefit from the growth in AI infrastructure investments.
See More
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- Market Growth Potential: According to Fortune Business Insights, the AI market is projected to grow from $375.9 billion this year to $2.48 trillion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 26.6%, which presents significant opportunities for related companies.
- TSMC's Industry Position: As the world's largest semiconductor foundry, TSMC produced over 11,800 products across 288 different processes in 2024, demonstrating its unparalleled influence and customer base in the industry.
- Strong Financial Performance: TSMC reported fourth-quarter revenue of $33.73 billion, a 25.5% increase year-over-year, with a profit margin of 48.3%, indicating robust profitability in a rapidly growing market.
- Technological Advancements and Market Demand: TSMC derived over half of its revenue from chips larger than 7 nanometers in 2023, but has significantly increased production of 3nm and 5nm chips, which now account for 28% and 35% of total shipments respectively, showcasing its agility in adapting to technological advancements and market demand shifts.
See More
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- Cloud Computing Market Expansion: Major cloud providers such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are heavily investing in data centers to meet the demand for computing power from AI developers, with Microsoft Azure achieving a growth rate of 39% in Q2 FY 2026, showcasing its competitive edge in the market.
- Recurring Revenue Stream: The rental model of cloud computing provides these companies with a continuous revenue stream; while they need to regularly replace computing units, the initial investment in infrastructure is already covered, leading to a substantial increase in future profitability.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As AI hardware and cloud computing rapidly evolve, competition among related companies will intensify, prompting investors to monitor these firms' performance in technological innovation and market share.
See More
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- Market Demand Growth: AI computing hardware demand is expected to surge through 2030, with cloud computing companies being key drivers, indicating that AI remains a leading investment theme attracting significant capital inflows.
- Hardware Investment Opportunities: Companies like Nvidia, Broadcom, and Taiwan Semiconductor are excelling in the AI hardware space, with Nvidia's GPUs widely used for AI workloads, known for their high performance despite higher costs, while Broadcom's ASIC designs offer more cost-effective solutions, with AI semiconductor revenue expected to double by Q1 2026.
- Cloud Computing Infrastructure: Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are the major cloud providers, with Microsoft Azure achieving a 39% growth rate in Q2 FY 2026; although AWS is growing slower, all three are actively investing in data centers to meet rising demand, ensuring a continuous revenue stream.
- Long-Term Investment Potential: With AI spending projected to reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion by 2030, the combination of cloud computing and AI hardware presents enormous long-term return potential for investors, especially as infrastructure builds out, significantly enhancing profitability.
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- Surging Memory Demand: Micron dominates in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and NAND chips, with forecasts indicating the memory market could grow to $100 billion by 2028, highlighting the accelerating demand for memory chips.
- Capital Expenditure Driving Price Increases: With big tech expected to spend over $500 billion on AI infrastructure, shortages in HBM solutions are anticipated, with TrendForce research suggesting DRAM and NAND prices could soar by 60% and 38%, respectively, in Q1 alone.
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- Nasdaq Divergence: While the Nasdaq remains below key support levels, some AI-related stocks are reviving, indicating a potential rebound in tech stocks that may provide new investment opportunities for investors.
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