TSMC (TSM) Raised Its 2026 Outlook as AI Demand Accelerated 

Antipodes Partners published its “Antipodes Global Strategy” second-quarter 2026 investor letter, highlighting the key performance stocks, portfolio changes, and the market outlook. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter of 2026 delivered one of the strongest equity market recoveries in recent history, as global equities gained 14.9% in US dollar terms. Renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, strong corporate earnings, and easing tensions with Iran supported the rebound, while growth stocks outperformed value and emerging markets led gains, particularly Korea and Taiwan. The Antipodes Global Value Strategy underperformed its benchmark during the quarter and over the 12 months to June 30, 2026, as returns became concentrated in a narrow group of semiconductor and hardware stocks. Consumer staples and consumer discretionary holdings supported performance, while information technology, software, and internet exposure detracted. The firm remains cautious on expensive memory companies because pricing and supply remain cyclical despite AI demand. The Strategy continues to favor valued infrastructure, specialty semiconductors, resilient software, and quality businesses. For insights into its key selections for 2026, please review the Strategy’s top five holdings.

In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Antipodes Global Value Strategy highlighted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) as a notable contributor to performance. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is the world’s leading contract chip manufacturer, producing advanced semiconductors for major global technology companies. On August 5, 2026, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) closed at $414.00 per share. One-month return of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) was -2.14% and its shares gained 70.64% over the past 52 weeks. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) has a market capitalization of $2.15 Trillion with a 52-week trading range between $223.70 – $479.00.

Antipodes Global Value Strategy stated the following regarding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) finished higher as surging AI and high-performance computing demand drove stronger than-expected earnings and upgraded 2026 guidance. The company reported significant profit growth and raised revenue expectations, supported by robust utilisation of advanced 3nm and emerging 2nm nodes. Investor sentiment continued to be buoyed by TSMC’s dominant positioning in the AI semiconductor supply chain, supplying major hyperscalers and chip designers including Nvidia and AMD.”

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is in 6th position on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 234 hedge fund portfolios held Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) at the end of the first quarter, up from 224 in the previous quarter. In Q1 2026, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited’s (NYSE:TSM) revenue increased 6.4% (in U.S. dollar terms) sequentially to $35.9 billion, exceeding the guidance. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

In another article, we covered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) and shared why the bull case for the company remains intact despite Beijing’s latest move. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.