TSMC reports highest-ever April sales

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) on Friday reported its highest-ever sales for April, up more than 17 percent from a year earlier, with analysts attributing the growth to strong global demand for artificial intelligence.

In a statement, the world's largest contract chipmaker said it posted NT$410.73 billion (US$13.08 billion) in consolidated sales in April, up 17.5 percent from a year earlier.

However, April revenues, the second-highest for any month in the company's history, were down slightly 1.1 percent from March, when the sales figure stood at NT$415.19 billion.

In the first four months of this year, TSMC's consolidated sales soared 29.9 percent from a year earlier to NT$1.54 trillion.

Market analysts said the slight month-on-month sales fall in April largely resulted from a stronger Taiwan dollar, which appreciated 1.05 percent against the U.S. dollar despite the central bank's intervention to smooth volatility on the foreign exchange market.

Analysts said TSMC continued to benefit from the current AI boom, citing the almost 30 percent year-on-year sales growth in the first four months of this year. They said global demand for chips made on TSMC's advanced processes stayed strong due to growing needs for computing capacity.

At an investor conference held in mid-April, TSMC said it expected its second-quarter sales to range between US$39.0 billion and NT$40.2 billion, which will mark an estimated 10 percent rise from a quarter earlier and grow 32 percent from a year earlier.

TSMC used an exchange rate of NT$31.7 to US$1 to make the sales estimate. In Taiwan dollar terms, second-quarter sales will range between NT$1.24 trillion and NT$1.27 trillion, so TSMC is expected to post more than NT$410 billion in consolidated sales on average in May and June, analysts said.

TSMC has forecast its 2026 sales will grow by more than 30 percent in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, an upgrade from its earlier estimate in January, when the company forecast sales growth would come closer to 30 percent.