Is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) the Best Technology Stock to Buy for Long-Term Investment?
We recently published a list of the 13 Best Technology Stocks to Buy for Long-Term Investment. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) stands against other tech stocks to buy for long-term investment.
On May 12, Jeff Kilburg of KKM Financial and Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities appeared together on CNBC to discuss AI, cybersecurity, and mega-cap tech, especially as tech stocks soar as the US-China tariff deal boosts market confidence. Jeff Kilburg first identified the tech software sector as the primary beneficiary of the recent market pause amid optimism and gains, and highlighted that markets are broadly positive. He noted that many investors underestimated how quickly a China trade deal would materialize and contrasted it with the UK deal, which was expected to be a slower, tentative template. Kilburg suggests that faster deal-making could continue and benefit several software companies, which have been overlooked due to the focus on the MAG7. Dan Ives concurred with Kilburg's view but singled out NVIDIA as the biggest near-to-medium-term beneficiary of the pause, especially given its prior exposure to China tariffs. He referenced the ongoing AI revolution and the surge in AI-related stocks and described the current environment as a dream scenario for tech investors. Ives anticipates new highs for tech and the broader market. He also described a 'golden age' for cybersecurity stocks, which are acting as secondary beneficiaries of AI growth.
On a question about the impact of the admin's focus on reducing federal spending and debt, particularly on companies that derive substantial revenue from government contracts, Kilburg responded that this fiscal discipline is actually positive for software companies as it may drive more spending toward efficient software solutions. Kilburg also addressed the sectors to avoid or be cautious about amid the current market environment. He suggests trimming utilities, which have been a safe haven but may now be less attractive. He points out that the VIX volatility index dropping below 20, which is a big change from over 60 in April, indicates reduced market fear and increased investor confidence. This suggests a market environment favoring higher-beta and growth-oriented investments rather than defensive plays.
We first sifted through stock screeners, ETFs, and financial media reports to compile a list of the top tech stocks that have grown over 15% in the past 3 years. We then selected the 13 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q4 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A close-up of a complex network of integrated circuits used in logic semiconductors.
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 22.32%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 186
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) manufactures, packages, tests, and sells ICs and other semiconductor devices. It provides various wafer fabrication processes, such as processes to manufacture complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, and others.
The company generated $25.78 billion in FQ1 2025 revenue, which was up ~41% year-over-year. 59% of this revenue came from the HPC segment, which itself improved by 7% sequentially due to the sustained demand for AI-related applications. On April 21, Barclays analyst Simon Coles lowered the price target on TSMC to $215 from $255 while keeping an Overweight rating.
The firm believes that the company's shares are already pricing in a slowdown and look increasingly attractive. TSMC's FY2025 guidance was also maintained, which could imply some slowdown in H2 of the year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) forecasts that revenue growth from AI accelerators will reach a mid-40% CAGR for the 5 years starting from 2024.
The company's results and guidance showcased strong AI chip demand, which is why Sands Capital Technology Innovators Fund stated the following regarding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
'Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) third-quarter 2024 results and guidance showcased strong continued demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Revenue increased by 29 percent, and earnings saw a 54 percent rise year-over-year. Gross margins were at their highest since 2022, bolstered by price hikes and record utilization at both the 3 nanometer (nm) and 5nm nodes. TSMC's full-year revenue outlook was revised upward from 25 percent to 30 percent growth. The company also anticipates higher capital expenditure in 2025, a leading indicator for revenue.
Overall, TSM ranks 2nd on our list of the best technology stocks to buy for long-term investment. While we acknowledge the growth potential of TSM, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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