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Why Taiwan Semiconductor's Stock Is Trading Higher Today

Tanzeel Akhtar
·1 min read

Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) shares are trading higher on Monday on reports the company's partner Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is working on a new series of Mac processors, with plans to outperform Intel.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is the world's largest dedicated chip foundry, with over 50% market share in 2019 per Gartner. TSMC was founded in 1987 as a joint venture of Philips, the government of Taiwan, and private investors. It went public as an ADR in the U.S. in 1997.

TSMC's scale and high-quality technology allow the firm to generate solid operating margins, even in the highly competitive foundry business. Furthermore, the shift to the fabless business model has created tailwinds for TSMC.

Taiwan Semiconductor shares were up 3.22% at $107.07 at the time of publication. The stock has a 52-week high of $107.57 and a 52-week low of $42.70.

See more from Benzinga

© 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Latest Stories

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    Reducing carbon emissions is all the vogue among the green policy wonks these days, and whether you believe in the efficacy of those policies or not, one thing is undeniable: they will have an impact on your daily life. Specifically, they will impact the cars you drive – and probably your fuel and electric bills as well.It’s no secret that the Trump Administration has favored the oil and gas industry, and in fact, gasoline prices have declined during the past four years. The incoming Biden Administration is expected to look far more favorably on green policies, particularly the electrification of the automobile fleet. Electric vehicles have been with us for a while, and some models are achieving popularity and driver approval. The next step will be a governmental push, via policy, to make EVs cheaper to build, more affordable to buy, and more practical on the road.In a recent report from Goldman Sachs, the investment giant foresees global sales of electric vehicles hitting 1.8 million units this year, with 8.3 million by 2025 and an impressive 34 million by 2035. The result of this will be a reduction in the conventional car/electric car ratio of 18%.With this in mind, Goldman’s stock analysts are tapping two electric vehicle companies which are likely to succeed in the climate of the next four years – and one to watch from the sidelines. We've used the TipRanks database to get a better sense of what other Wall Street analysts think about the trio. Li Auto (LI)Li Auto is one of the myriad EV production companies that has cropped up in China in recent years. The Chinese domestic car market should not be overlooked – the country has a population near 1.4 billion, with some 800 million in the urban areas, and as a whole, China is rapidly growing wealthier. Li specializes in plug-in hybrids, which combine combustion engines and an electric drive train – and are especially useful in a country with a limited EV charging network. Li first model, the Li ONE, was put on the market in November of last year, and by this past October, the company had sold over 22,000 cars. That month, the sales volume hit 3,700, making the Li ONE China’s best-selling electric vehicle model. This company is a newcomer to the US stock markets, having held its IPO at the end of July this year. Share debuted on the market at $11.50, higher than the initial projected range. Since the IPO, shares in LI have gained 173%. 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(To watch Delaney’s track record, click here)However, despite the huge gains in recent months, or maybe because of that, Wall Street remains cautious of Tesla. The analyst consensus rating is a Hold, based on 25 reviews, including 10 Buys, 8 Holds, and 7 Sells. The stock’s average price target is $403.24, indicating a possible downside of 37% from current levels. (See TSLA stock analysis on TipRanks)Nio (NIO)Last on our list is Goldman’s neutral call on Nio, another Chinese electric vehicle company. Nio has, in recent months, managed to stand out from China’s crowded domestic EV market, introducing new models and innovative ideas. The company’s current line-up includes three mid-size SUVs powered by lithium-ion batteries, and sports car, a 2-door coupe with water-cooled electric motors. The company has several models, including two sedans, a minivan, and another SUV, lined up for future release.Among the customer-oriented ideas that Nio is working with is ‘Battery as a Service,’ or BaaS. This concept divorces the battery from the vehicle, allowing car owners to purchase a monthly subscription and ‘refuel’ their vehicle by swapping out the battery assembly.Earnings, while still at a net loss, have been improving for the past four quarters, and Q3 revenue came in at $4.53 billion, the best in over a year. Year-to-date, NIO shares have shown tremendous growth -- the stock is up over 1000%.Noting that Nio has strength in its leading position in the market, Goldman's Fei Fang writes of the risks: “While Nio’s brand has been impressively established, we expect competition to heat up in the coming years with large OEMs launching comparable models, such as ID4 and Model Y… If our projected battery price declines / excess capacity does not come through and the industry works with tight manufacturing capacity and hefty EV component prices, it would weigh on Nio’s margin expansion.”Fang gives NIO shares a Neutral (i.e. Hold) rating. But the analyst might as well have said “buy” — because he thinks the stock, currently at $45.11, could zoom ahead to $57 within a year, delivering 31% profits to new investors. Overall, Nio’s stock gets a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating, based on 7 Buys and 4 Holds. Meanwhile, the $49.01 average price target implies nearly 9% upside. (See NIO stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Second, Dalio tells us not to bother trying to ‘time the market.’ Even the pros don’t usually get this right, and Dalio says that simply buying into a stock you like, and holding it long term, is a better strategy then trying to buy in at the right time. The stock market is a risky place to put your money, and Dalio understands that. His tactics for mitigating that risk are age-old – and have arguably brought him great success. Bearing this in mind, we decided to look at Bridgewater's recent activity for inspiration. Running three stocks Dalio's fund picked up during Q3 through TipRanks’ database, we found out that the analyst community is also on board, as each sports a “Strong Buy” consensus rating.Baxter International (BAX)We will start with Baxter International, a healthcare company based outside of Chicago. Baxter produces medical devices and other products for the treatment of acute and chronic conditions, particularly blood, immune, and kidney diseases. 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One of the most meaningful datapoints in this quarter was 6% peritoneal dialysis patient growth… well ahead of the mid-single-digit long-term growth outlook for the Renal business that the Street is modeling. As the COVID pressures begin to lift, visibility into the long-term growth drivers should improve, and we would expect the shares to move meaningfully higher.”In line with her bullish comments, Antalffy rates BAX shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and her $105 price target implies a 34% one-year upside potential. (To watch Antalffy’s track record, click here)Overall, the analyst consensus rating on Baxter is a Strong Buy, based on 12 reviews that include 11 Buys against just a single Hold. The stock is selling for $78, and its $95 average price target suggest it has room for ~22% upside growth in 2021. (See BAX stock analysis on TipRanks)CVS Health Corporation (CVS)The next stock is another healthcare company, but where Baxter, above, markets to the professional side of that sector, CVS aims squarely at the consumer healthcare market. This company is best known as the CVS pharmacy chain, and is a staple of the retail scene. CVS stores offer a range of home healthcare and hygiene products, along with basic groceries, pharmacy services, and some more specialized prescription medical equipment. The company has brought in more than $130 billion in annual revenues for the past three years.CVS’ revenues showed a slight dip this year, during Q2, when economic conditions deteriorated, but quickly rebounded. The sequence of quarterly earnings in 2020, $66.7 billion, $65.3 billion, and $67.1 billion, show a steady sales base, to be expected from a retailer dealing in products mainly deemed essential during the shutdown policies. 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Darling Ingredients recycles the waste products of the restaurant industry and the animal-processing industry – namely, oils, fats, and grease – and manufactures usable meat and bone meals, yellow grease, and tallow. The company’s products are used in pet foods, animal feeds, bioenergy, and fertilizers. Darling has delivered strong performance through 2020. The company’s quarterly earnings have held between $848 million and $852 million during the corona crisis, while earnings have been shown year-over-year gains in each quarter. The Q3 results included 61 cents EPS on $850 million in top line revenues. DAR stock has been rising steadily since last winter’s market crash, and is up ~77% year-to-date.This is another new holding for Dalio and Bridgewater. During Q3, the fund pulled the trigger on 69,392 shares, which are now worth $3.46 million. 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Since setting up a joint venture with China’s Ant Group Co. last December, the duo unveiled a robo adviser aimed at customers with at least 800 yuan ($122) to invest, which recommends portfolios built from 6,000 mutual funds.In a sense, the company is doubling down on the no-frills ethos that has worked so well for decades to weather the landscape it helped inspire.“The Vanguard effect is hitting Vanguard,” said Eric Balchunas, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “It’s like a boomerang in a way.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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