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TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

investor.tsmc.com

11–20 of 119 posts

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#11
post #2

> Gross margin for the quarter was 60.4%, operating margin was 50.6%, and net profit margin was 45.8%. Still surprised how profitable TSMC is. Especially as this seems to be below the market expectations (their stock is still falling).

Great business but even the current valuation I don’t think a potential invasion of Taiwan is priced in the stock.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#12
post #4
post #2

> Gross margin for the quarter was 60.4%, operating margin was 50.6%, and net profit margin was 45.8%. Still surprised how profitable TSMC is. Especially as this seems to be below the market expectations (their stock is still falling).

I hate economics and know nothing really, but those numbers are the highest margins I have ever seen ? Aren't they profitable because they are in a unique position? I would hope they keep being profitable. What happens if they would fail?

> What happens if they would fail?

Meaning what? The factory gets destroyed? A competitor appears? Labor costs rise? Demand falls?

So long as the world economy is dependent on the TSMC, a CCP invasion seems unlikely if that's what you mean. The profitability isn't the clearest way to measure that. It could fall for a number of reasons without the geopolitical context changing.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#14
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate economics and know nothing really, but those numbers are the highest margins I have ever seen ? Aren't they profitable because they are in a unique position? I would hope they keep being profitable. What happens if they would fail?

> those numbers are the highest margins I have ever seen ? It’s not unusual to see 70%+ margins in software products.

TSMC don't sell software products

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#15
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW that statement isn't very meaningful without more context. 20% performance boost could easily be worth many multiples of 2.4x the cost. They only directly compare (240% vs. 20%) if their initial values are the same.

> 20% performance boost could easily be worth many multiples of 2.4x the cost. clearly not the case for iphone 14. people are not buying new iphone just because it is 20% faster than iphone 13.

for iphone it doesnt matter I would still got for discounted 13 rather than 14 as you gain mainly GPU core which changes not much. But for things like Macbooks smaller process means a lost, less energy used means less heat and less issues with throttling etc. This is big for MAcs but less so for ipads and iphones.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#16
post #3

> Gross margin for the quarter was 60.4% this is what happens when you can convince your top customer to pay you 2.4x to gain that https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/229139/a16-bionic...

That's a partial accounting.

The customer can sustainably afford to pay in proportion to the value it delivers to them, not TSMC.

Apple has a finely tuned machine for turning performance into profits, and so can afford to pay more than others... and still have it make sense for Apple.

If TSMC instead had a collection of automotive OEMs as their top-tier customers, this math wouldn't work.

The point being... be in a business where your profit margins are a rounding error in comparison to your customers' bill of materials, and you won't ever go hungry.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#17
post #2

> Gross margin for the quarter was 60.4%, operating margin was 50.6%, and net profit margin was 45.8%. Still surprised how profitable TSMC is. Especially as this seems to be below the market expectations (their stock is still falling).

Their stock is falling because of future demand issues coming up with the whole semiconductor industry. Just this week, expanded export bans to China were announced and are an uncertainty on how much volume will be impacted in the future, because no one knows what will get an exemption or not.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#19
post #16
post #3

> Gross margin for the quarter was 60.4% this is what happens when you can convince your top customer to pay you 2.4x to gain that https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/229139/a16-bionic...

That's a partial accounting. The customer can sustainably afford to pay in proportion to the value it delivers to them , not TSMC. Apple has a finely tuned machine for turning performance into profits, and so can afford to pay more than others... and still have it make sense for Apple. If TSMC instead had a collection of automotive OEMs as their top-tier customers, this math wouldn't work. The point being... be in a…

Apple's gross margin is significantly lower than that of TSMC. everything else is just cheap talk.

Re: TSMC Reports Q3 Earnings [pdf]

#20
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW that statement isn't very meaningful without more context. 20% performance boost could easily be worth many multiples of 2.4x the cost. They only directly compare (240% vs. 20%) if their initial values are the same.

> 20% performance boost could easily be worth many multiples of 2.4x the cost. clearly not the case for iphone 14. people are not buying new iphone just because it is 20% faster than iphone 13.

Maybe, but again, that's not enough information to make your statement a complete line of thought

The iphone 14 does not cost 2.4x more because one component is 2.4x more expensive. What is it now? Idk.

A lot has changed since the iphone 13 besides the chip, but it looks like the launch price is $200 more for the 128GB model for the 14 vs. the 13 (~25%). What's the total sales look like? What would the estimated total sales be without it?

Not really interested in going further into this.

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