We recently compiled a list of the 10 Most Undervalued Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) stands against the other semiconductor stocks.
Deloitte expects that the broader semiconductor industry saw a remarkable growth in 2024, with sales touching $627 billion, outpacing the previous forecasts. This momentum is projected to continue, with 2025 sales anticipated to touch $697 billion. This will be a new record and will keep the industry on track to reach $1 trillion in sales by 2030. On a broader perspective, this growth trajectory showcases a CAGR of 7.5%, potentially doubling to $2 trillion by 2040.
Semiconductor Trends to Watch Out For in 2025
As per Orbit & Skyline, a leading semiconductor services provider, the broader semiconductor industry is expected to see strong transformation by 2025, thanks to the advancements in technology, transition in market demands, and the requirement for sustainable practices. The semiconductors continue to play a key role in fueling innovations throughout various sectors, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automotive technologies. Notably, AI and ML integration, growth in automotive semiconductors, edge computing, and advanced packaging technologies are some of the key trends that are expected to shape the semiconductor industry.
The demand for AI-driven semiconductors continues to increase, with companies accelerating to develop chips capable of handling complex AI workloads. Furthermore, Orbit & Skyline, while highlighting the comments from the Chief Executive of a leading semiconductor firm, mentioned that the rise of EVs and autonomous driving technologies continue to fuel the demand for automotive semiconductors.
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What’s In Store for Semiconductor Industry in 2025?
The semiconductor industry remains well-placed for a strong growth in 2025. As per Microchip USA, an expert component supplier, emerging technologies such as AI, hyperscale cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles continue to fuel demand for advanced chips and memory solutions. The rapid expansion of hyperscale data centers is expected to continue to fuel semiconductor demand. With higher reliance on cloud services, the infrastructure supporting such platforms needs innovation constantly. Therefore, advanced processors, custom silicon solutions, and high-capacity memory modules remain crucial for handling the robust workloads generated by cloud computing.
Microchip USA also highlighted that AI and cloud computing can be termed as “interdependent forces,” magnifying each other’s impact. While AI workloads need the scalability and computational power of the cloud, the cloud platforms continue to rely on AI to improve services and optimize operations. As a result, both technologies are at the forefront of the growth outlook for the semiconductor industry.
Amidst these favourable trends, we will now have a look at the 10 Most Undervalued Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now.
Close-up of Silicon Die are being Extracted from Semiconductor Wafer and Attached to Substrate by Pick and Place Machine. Computer Chip Manufacturing at Fab. Semiconductor Packaging Process.
Our Methodology
To list the 10 Most Undervalued Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now, we used a screener to shortlist stocks that trade at a forward P/E of less than ~20x. Next, we filtered out the ones that were popular among hedge funds, as of Q4 2024. Finally, the stocks were arranged in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A close-up of a complex network of integrated circuits used in logic semiconductors.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)
Forward P/E as of March 3: ~19.4x
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 186
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is engaged in manufacturing, packaging, testing, and selling integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices. The company announced its intention to expand its investment in advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the US by an additional $100 billion. Building on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)’s ongoing $65 billion investment in its advanced semiconductor manufacturing operations in Phoenix, Arizona, the company’s total investment in the U.S. is projected to reach US$165 billion. The expansion consists of plans for 3 new fabrication plants, 2 advanced packaging facilities, and a major R&D team center, strengthening the project as the largest single foreign direct investment in US history.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)’s business in Q4 2024 was aided by robust demand for its industry-leading 3nm and 5nm technologies. Moving into Q1 2025, the company’s business might be impacted by smartphone seasonality, which is expected to be partially offset by continued growth in AI-related demand. For Q1 2025, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) expects revenue in the range of US$25.0 billion – US$25.8 billion. Overall, the company’s continued leadership in advanced manufacturing processes places it well for healthy future growth.
Wedgewood Partners, an investment management company, published its Q4 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:
“Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) was another top contributor to performance during the quarter and for the year. The Company’s earnings growth dramatically accelerated compared to last year as the Company’s wafer fabrication and packaging volumes soared in 2024. In addition, the Company customer prices rebounded in the face of more normalized capital expenditures. The Company maintains a near-monopoly in the fabrication of nearly every new AI accelerator brought to market over the past two years. They continue investing tens of billions to build and 7ill future capacity with orders for what seems to be insatiable hyperscale demand for accelerated computing. The stock ended the year trading at a consensus forward earnings multiple that is several points lower than large cap growth benchmarks, despite the Company’s dominant position in the most important industry that is driving one of the largest technological shifts in a generation.”
Overall TSM ranks 1st on our list of the most undervalued semiconductor stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of TSM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than TSM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.