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(Sharecast News) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reported a sharp rise in March and first-quarter revenue on Friday, as sustained demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips drove record sales despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
The world's largest contract chipmaker said March revenue rose 30.7% month-on-month and 45.2% year-on-year to TWD 415.19bn (9.72bn).
For the January-to-March period, revenue climbed 35.1% to TWD 1.134trn, broadly in line with market expectations and slightly ahead of analyst forecasts of around TWD 1.12trn.
The figures marked another record quarter for TSMC, underscoring its central role in the global AI supply chain.
The company manufactures advanced semiconductors for major clients including Apple and Nvidia, and has benefited from continued investment in AI infrastructure and data centres.
TSMC's performance also reflected pricing power in its most advanced nodes, with recent increases for leading-edge chips contributing to the revenue beat.
The company is one of only a handful of manufacturers capable of producing cutting-edge semiconductors at scale, leaving it well positioned to capture demand from both established technology firms and a growing number of companies designing their own chips.
The strong sales came against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical risk, with the conflict in the Middle East raising concerns about supply chain disruptions and higher energy costs.
However, the latest figures suggested that demand for AI-related hardware had so far remained resilient, helping to ease investor concerns that the crisis could dampen spending on data centres and advanced computing.
Looking ahead, analysts raised their forecasts for the current quarter, with expectations for another record period as constrained capacity for advanced AI chip production continues to support pricing and volumes.
TSMC is due to report its full first-quarter earnings and updated outlook on 16 April.
At the close of trading in Taipei on Friday, shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co were up 2.3% at TWD 2,000.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.