TSMC Books Record NT$587 Billion in October as AI Chips Fill Fabs

TSMC posted the highest monthly revenue in its history in October: NT$586.89 billion, roughly US$17.88 billion, up 59.7% from a year earlier on demand for AI chips that keeps its most advanced fabs running full.

The number, announced Tuesday, beat the company's previous record of NT$514.81 billion set in August. It also climbed 14.7% from September's NT$511.86 billion. A year ago, in October 2024, monthly revenue stood at NT$367.47 billion.

Investors noticed. TSMC shares closed 2.24% higher in Taipei on Tuesday, CNBC reported.

How big is the number in context?

Stack October on top of TSMC's reported nine-month total and you get roughly NT$4.49 trillion for January through October — up about 43% from NT$3.13 trillion in the same period a year earlier, according to MLQ.ai calculations based on company figures.

The monthly run-rate tells the same story of acceleration:

• June: NT$442.68 billion, +67.9% year over year
• July: NT$467.58 billion, +44.7%
• August: NT$514.81 billion, +53.3%
• September: NT$511.86 billion, +54.6%
• October: NT$586.89 billion, +59.7%

What does October mean for fourth-quarter guidance?

TSMC guided in October for fourth-quarter revenue of US$52.3 billion to US$54.3 billion, assuming NT$31.8 per US dollar, with a gross margin of 65% to 67%.

Translated into local currency, that range works out to roughly NT$1.66 trillion to NT$1.73 trillion. October alone delivered about 34% to 35% of that target in a single month, per MLQ.ai calculations. The quarter is off to a fast start.

For reference, third-quarter revenue came in at NT$1,494.24 billion, or US$46.72 billion.

Why the stock swing matters

The release follows a volatile week for Taiwanese chip stocks. TSMC hit its daily limit-down on November 6 before chip shares clawed back part of the losses.

Then Taiwan's regulator stepped in. It tightened short-selling rules, cutting the daily cap on intraday short-sale orders to 3% from 30%, effective Monday.

The broader trade data backs up the chip momentum. Taiwan's October exports rose 58.9% to a record US$96.76 billion, with electronic components up 61.4%.

With AI chip demand showing no sign of cooling and October already covering more than a third of quarterly guidance, the question for TSMC's next report is whether November and December can push Q4 revenue past the top of the US$54.3 billion range.