Latest news with #Semiconductor
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Taiwan central bank will take 'timely' steps to ensure financial stability
TAIPEI :Taiwan's central bank will take "timely" measures to ensure financial stability in the face of uncertainty over U.S. tariffs, geopolitical conflict, climate change and market volatility, it said on Thursday. In its annual financial stability report, the central bank said the uncertainty could adversely affect global economic development and pose risks to Taiwan's own financial stability. Taiwan's trade-reliant economy is expected to grow at a slightly slower pace in 2025 than previously forecast, with U.S. tariffs, if implemented, likely to weigh on growth. "The bank will pay close attention to the possible impact of the relevant developments on the overall economy and the financial system, and will take timely measures to promote domestic financial stability," the central bank said, without elaborating. While the foreign exchange market has become more volatile, it has remained relatively stable over the long-term, and the bond market has not experienced any significant fluctuations, it said. But if U.S. tariffs affect the ability of households and the corporate sector to service their debt, then that could have a detrimental effect on financial institutions' profitability and capital adequacy. A semiconductor powerhouse that runs a large trade surplus with the U.S., Taiwan was facing duties of 32 per cent on its U.S. imports until U.S. President Donald Trump paused tariffs for 90 days to allow negotiations to take place. Earlier this month, the central bank asked banks to follow foreign exchange settlement rules, following a surge in the Taiwan dollar in recent weeks on speculation that Washington has asked Taipei to allow it to strengthen as part of tariff talks. Taiwan's central bank has denied the U.S. made such a request. In Thursday's report, the central bank also said that life insurance companies with large domestic and foreign investment portfolios are exposed to higher market risks from volatility on global financial markets.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NVIDIA Gains Momentum Ahead of Q1 Earnings: ETFs in Focus
AI leader NVIDIA NVDA is in the spotlight as it is set to release its fiscal first-quarter 2026 results after market close on May 28. The chipmaker has gained momentum in recent weeks ahead of its earnings chipmaker has gained 5.1% over the past three months compared with the industry's growth of 3.5%. NVIDIA reclaimed $3 trillion in its market cap early this month. The strong trend is likely to continue if it comes up with an earnings beat (read: NVIDIA Reclaims $3 Trillion: ETFs to Bet On). ETFs having the largest allocation to NVIDIA will be in focus ahead of its earnings report. These include Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF SHOC, VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF SMH, VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF SMHX, YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF SOXY and Columbia Semiconductor and Technology ETF SEMI. NVIDIA currently has an Earnings ESP of -0.41% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). According to our methodology, the combination of a positive Earnings ESPand a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP AI leader saw negative earnings estimate revisions of a couple of cents for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 over the past seven days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for 39.3% revenue growth and 63.9% earnings growth in the fiscal first quarter. NVIDIA's earnings surprise history is also good, as it delivered an earnings surprise of 7.92%, on average, in the last four quarters. NVIDIA Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | NVIDIA Corporation Quote NVIDIA has a Growth Score of A, suggesting that it is primed for Street analysts maintained their bullish view on the stock, with a recommendation of 1.36 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), made by 45 brokerage firms. Of these, 37 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy, respectively, account for 82.22% and 4.44% of all on short-term price targets offered by 42 analysts, the average price target for NVIDIA comes to $167.00. The forecasts range from a low of $100.00 to a high of $220.00. NVIDIA is a global leader in the AI chip market, controlling between 80% and 95% of the market, according to Reuters. Its success is largely attributed to its leadership in developing advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), which are unmatched in producing processors that power artificial intelligence systems, including generative AI, the technology backing OpenAI's ChatGPT that can create text, images and other media. Most analysts believe NVIDIA will become far more valuable in the future due to its dominance in the billion-dollar AI chip is once again poised to redefine the AI landscape with the upcoming launch of its new AI chipset. The mass production is likely to begin as early as next the last earnings conference call, CEO Jensen Huang said demand for NVIDIA's Blackwell chip, its latest chip for powering AI servers, "is amazing" and predicted more to come. He expressed confidence in NVIDIA's future, noting that the company is at the center of what he described as the 'next wave' of AI innovations. Huang said, 'AI is advancing at light speed as agentic AI and physical AI set the stage for the next wave of AI to revolutionize the largest industries.'The AI darling offered a bullish revenue outlook for the to-be-reported quarter and optimism about its next-generation AI Blackwell chips. For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the graphics chipmaker expects revenues of $43 billion, plus or minus 2%. As NVIDIA continues to ride the wave of AI demand, it will continue to grow in the coming year (read: Tech ETFs at the Forefront of the Current Market Rally). NVIDIA is currently trading at a P/E ratio of 31.37, slightly lower than the Semiconductor - General industry average of 31.58. Further, the stock is currently trading at a PEG ratio of 1.27, much lower than the industry average of 2.10. The lower the PEG ratio, the better the value, as investors would pay less for each unit of earnings. Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF (SHOC) – NVIDIA exposure: 22.9%VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) – NVIDIA exposure: 21%VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF (SMHX) – NVIDIA exposure: 20.5%YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF (SOXY) – NVIDIA exposure: 19.4%Columbia Semiconductor and Technology ETF (SEMI) – NVIDIA exposure: 17.1% Investors seeking to take on more risk could bet on single-stock ETFs with 200% exposure to NVIDIA. These include T-REX 2X Long NVIDIA Daily Target ETF NVDX and the GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF NVDA WeeklyPay ETF NVW seeks to provide weekly distributions and calendar week returns, equal to 1.2 times (120%) the calendar week total return of NVIDIA shares. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): ETF Research Reports Columbia Select Technology ETF (SEMI): ETF Research Reports Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF (SHOC): ETF Research Reports VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF (SMHX): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Indian Semiconductor Design GCCs see 15% Decline in Job Openings: Report
The study indicates that VLSI, Embedded Systems, and RF Design lead skill demand in semiconductor design GCCs You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Semiconductor design global capability centers (GCCs) in India witnessed a 15 per cent decline in open positions from Q1 to Q4 of FY25, reflecting a cooling in hiring momentum over the course of the year, according to Careernet's latest annual report on 'Talent Demand Analysis of Semiconductor Design GCCs in India'. Despite this moderation, the overall demand for niche skills in VLSI, embedded systems, and RF/analogue design remained resilient, with mid-sized GCCs demonstrating greater hiring agility. The report draws on real-time hiring data, covering fresh job postings across the top 50 design-focused semiconductor GCCs in India, and analyses organisational and functional dimensions of the workforce. The report highlights a detailed month-on-month hiring trend across FY25, with open positions peaking at 3,760 in May 2024 before gradually tapering off to 3,040 by January 2025 and closing the year at 3,181 in March 2025. The talent demand remains heavily concentrated in design, R&D, and manufacturing roles, with an average monthly demand exceeding 3,000 professionals in 2024. Key skills in demand include physical design, design for testability (DFT), embedded systems development, and both front-end and back-end VLSI design and verification. There is also high demand for expertise in RF, mixed-signal, and analogue design. Proficiency in electronic design automation (EDA) tools, semiconductor process engineering, yield analysis, data engineering, and cybersecurity for embedded systems is becoming crucial to driving the next wave of innovation as AI and ML integration in chip design gains momentum. These skill sets are expected to be in high demand due to India's strong engineering background and government-backed semiconductor projects (such as the India Semiconductor Mission), particularly as new Design GCCs are predicted to increase by 30 per cent by 2030. "India's semiconductor ambition is no longer aspirational; it is being methodically enabled through a convergence of policy, talent, and innovation. The ₹76,000 crore Semicon India programme, with its focused incentives for chip design and deployment, reflects the government's strategic commitment to building a world-class semiconductor ecosystem," said Neelabh Shukla, CBO, Careernet. "At the same time, initiatives like the Chips to Startup programme, SMART Labs, and AICTE's updated VLSI curriculum are laying the groundwork for a deep and future-ready talent pipeline. These measures are not just interventions but foundational pillars supporting India's transition from a service-driven market to a product- and R&D-led semiconductor powerhouse. While the talent demand-supply gap poses near-term challenges, the long-term trajectory is strong, particularly as mid-sized GCCs emerge as agile engines of growth and innovation," added Shukla. The fresh open position trends by organisation size across India's top 50 semiconductor design GCCs highlighted in the report suggest that mid-size companies are emerging as the most resilient drivers of talent demand, while smaller firms remain agile yet vulnerable to fluctuations, and larger firms align more closely with global market cycles. Startups and small organisations, which were initially optimistic about the Indian ecosystem with a steady month-on-month increase in roles, shifted to a bearish outlook in Q4. In contrast, mid and large organisations experienced a positive reversal, showing increased demand for professionals in Q3 and Q4 compared to the first half of the year.
Phone Arena
6 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
The Google Pixel and TSMC partnership could last longer than we thought
We already knew Google was planning to use Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, to make the chip for the Pixel 10. But now we're hearing that this isn't just for one phone, but actually a multi-year deal to build the Tensor chips that power future Pixel devices. Up until the Pixel 9, Google has had Samsung make their Tensor chips. Even though Google helps design them, they've used some of Samsung's tech. Switching to TSMC, who are experts at making really advanced chips, for more than just one phone suggests Google wants even more control over how these chips are made. They probably want to make them even better for Pixel phones, focusing on things like making them faster, using less battery, and being smarter with artificial intelligence. We already expected the chip for the Pixel 10, the Tensor G5, to be made by TSMC using a very advanced 3nm process. This is a big deal in the chip world because it usually means you can pack more power into a smaller space and use less energy. The news about a multi-year deal just makes it clearer that Google is planning to stick with TSMC for a while to take advantage of these improvements for future Pixel phones, especially with all the new AI stuff they've been showing off. The Google and TSMC collaboration could last up to 2029. | Image credit — TSMC However, this latest report says that this partnership could last until the Pixel 14, around 2029. That's a long time in the tech world. This commitment shows that Google sees the Tensor chip as a key part of its Pixel strategy for the foreseeable future. This comes after some earlier talk about Google maybe working with MediaTek. However, the reports of the company going with a longer deal with TSMC seems to mean Google is really investing in making their own chips a big part of what makes Pixel phones special. We've seen how the Tensor chip already helps Pixel phones do unique things. This deeper partnership with TSMC could make those things even better in the phones we see down the road. It'll be interesting to see just how much Google can innovate with this closer collaboration down the line.
Globe and Mail
24-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
These 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Look Cheap Right Now
The artificial intelligence industry is booming, which makes it an attractive sector to invest in. But AI hype has pushed up stock prices for several tech companies and inflated their valuations in many cases. Fortunately, investors looking for AI bargains can still find some. One of these is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) , popularly known as TSMC, which Nvidia employs to construct its AI chips. Two others are Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) , commonly called Supermicro, and Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) . Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Looking at the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of these three AI stocks compared to Nvidia reveals that they are trading at much lower valuations at the time of writing. Data by YCharts. These three companies saw downward pressure on their share prices because of various headwinds. A big one is the global economic uncertainty introduced by President Donald Trump's tariff policies. But the secular trend of AI promises to boost each company's business over the long run. Beyond their relatively cheap valuations, here's why each is a buy. Image source: Getty Images. 1. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing TSMC is a compelling investment because of its leadership in manufacturing chips used to process AI tasks. Its expertise in efficiently producing 3-nanometer (nm) chips in large quantities is leading to rapid sales growth. This tech contributed 22% of the company's $25.5 billion in first-quarter revenue, up from just 9% in the prior year. Although it's seeing success with its 3nm technology, TSMC is already looking to the next step. The manufacturer is working on its next-generation tech, 2nm, which it expects to enter production later this year. TSMC's technological achievements helped it grow Q1 sales by a strong 35% year over year to $25.5 billion. Moreover, its Q1 gross margin rose to 58.8%, up from 53.1% in the previous year, demonstrating efficiency in managing costs. Although the dynamic situation with tariffs introduces possible volatility into TSMC's business in the near term, the company forecast Q2 revenue to reach between $28.4 billion to $29.2 billion. That would be an outstanding increase of at least 37% from the prior year's $20.8 billion. Also, TSMC was awarded $6.6 billion in federal government funding as part of the CHIPS Act to build semiconductor fabrication facilities in the United States. So the company is in a great position to see long-term business growth. 2. Super Micro Computer Supermicro sells servers and data storage solutions to businesses building AI systems. The company was beset by a series of short-term issues in 2024 that sent its stock tumbling, including the resignation of its auditor, but it has since sorted out the issues. In its fiscal 2025 Q3 (ended March 31), Supermicro's revenue reached $4.6 billion, a 19% increase year over year. Despite the growth, the result failed to meet the company's forecast for at least $5 billion in sales as customer purchasing delays pushed "some sales into Q4 and later," according to CFO David Weigand. Like TSMC, the current macroeconomic climate induced by tariffs affects Supermicro in the short term, but AI's growth can buoy the company over time. After all, the AI market is forecast to expand from 2024's $184 billion to a whopping $826 billion by 2030. In fact, Supermicro estimates it will close out fiscal 2025 with sales between $21.8 billion and $22.6 billion. That would be a strong increase from the prior year's $14.9 billion. The company already exceeded the previous year's total revenue through the first three quarters of fiscal 2025 with sales of $16.2 billion. That means its revenue goal for the year is within reach. 3. Alphabet Google parent Alphabet is investing heavily in AI. The company spent $52.5 billion in capital expenditures last year to build cutting-edge AI systems. Today, every product the company owns with at least half a billion users has incorporated Alphabet's AI. The addition of AI to products such as Google's search engine and its cloud computing business, Google Cloud, contributed to both seeing double-digit year-over-year sales growth in Q1. Google hit $50.7 billion, and its cloud division earned $12.3 billion. This performance helped Alphabet reach $90.2 billion in total Q1 revenue, up from $80.5 billion in 2024. Another example of Alphabet's AI success is Waymo, its self-driving car business. Waymo's service uses AI to make autonomous driving decisions, and now supplies more than 250,000 passenger rides per week, a fivefold increase from last year. Alphabet's stock is down not only because of current macroeconomic conditions; Google also lost two key antitrust cases over the past year. But the conglomerate has the opportunity to appeal the decisions, so these short-term challenges do not necessarily translate into an impact on its business. Good time to scoop up shares Although TSMC, Supermicro, and Alphabet face(d) headwinds that pushed share prices down, the situation has created a buying opportunity for investors with a long-term mindset. The AI market's ongoing expansion and the success these companies have already demonstrated with AI position these three businesses to grow in the coming years. Their current compelling stock valuations make now a good time to scoop up shares. Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $640,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $814,127 !* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is 963 % — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 168 % for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Robert Izquierdo has positions in Alphabet, Nvidia, Super Micro Computer, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains syndicated content. We have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content, and may receive compensation for placement of the content on this site. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
