Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) sales in November grew more than 50 percent from a year earlier to hit a new monthly record that analysts attributed to strong demand for TSMC’s advanced 5 nanometer production process.
In a statement, TSMC said it posted consolidated sales of NT$222.71 billion (US$7.28 billion) in November, rising 5.9 percent from a month earlier and 50.2 percent from a year earlier.
The November sales smashed the previous monthly high of NT$218.13 billion set in August, even as the global semiconductor industry faced inventory adjustments, TSMC’s data showed.
Analysts said solid demand for TSMC’s 5nm process came from the growing popularity of emerging technologies such as 5G applications and high-performance computing devices, helping the chipmaker generate more than NT$200 billion in monthly sales four months in a row.
In the first 11 months of 2022, TSMC had consolidated sales of NT$2.07 trillion, up 44.6 percent from a year earlier.
At an investor conference in mid-October, TSMC forecast its consolidated sales in the fourth quarter to range between US$19.9 billion and US$20.7 billion, with the median figure of US$20.3 billion representing a 0.4 percent increase from the third quarter.
In Taiwan dollar terms, the fourth quarter sales projection ranged between NT$626.85 billion and NT$652.05 billion based on an exchange rate of NT$31.50 to the U.S. dollar.
For October and November, TSMC’s consolidated sales totaled NT$432.97 billion, and analysts said it was very possible the chipmaker will be able to achieve its sales goal for the full fourth quarter.
For 2022 as a whole, TSMC has forecast its consolidated sales will grow by 34-36 percent from a year earlier in 2022 in U.S. dollar terms.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel