Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reported record monthly revenue in October, as demand for the advanced chips used in artificial intelligence systems continued to grow. The world's largest contract chipmaker said consolidated revenue reached NT$586.89 billion in October 2026, a rise of 59.7 per cent on the same month last year.

The figure, released on Tuesday 10 November, also rose 14.7 per cent from NT$511.86 billion in September. It beat the previous monthly record of NT$514.81 billion set in August, and it was the highest monthly total in the company's published records, which run back to 1999.

Growth accelerates into the final quarter

Revenue for the first ten months of 2026 totalled NT$4,485.62 billion, up 43.3 per cent on the same period in 2025. The October result follows a strong third quarter, when TSMC reported revenue of US$46.72 billion, up 41.2 per cent year on year.

For the fourth quarter, TSMC has guided revenue of between US$52.3 billion and US$54.3 billion. The October sales figure puts the company on course to meet that range if the pace holds through November and December. TSMC reports November revenue on 10 December, under its financial calendar.

The monthly report gives a revenue total only. It does not break sales down by manufacturing technology or by customer, so investors will have to wait for the next quarterly disclosure to see how much of the increase came from advanced manufacturing and which end markets contributed most.

AI chip demand drives the chip boom

TSMC manufactures advanced semiconductors designed by major US technology companies, and its sales have been lifted by heavy investment in AI data centres. The company has said it expects capital spending from 2026 to 2028 to be significantly higher than in the previous three years as it invests to support customer demand.

Chief executive C.C. Wei has forecast that demand for advanced chips will persist well into 2027 and beyond, following record earnings in the quarter ended in September. TSMC has also warned that its output is likely to fall short of demand over the coming quarters as it expands capacity.

Taiwan's export figures told a similar story. The island's exports surged 58.9 per cent in October, supported by a 61.4 per cent rise in electronic components exports, according to figures published on 9 November.

Shares rise after the announcement

TSMC shares rose 2.2 per cent on the Taiwan Stock Exchange after the revenue figures were published. The gain came a day after the shares had already risen sharply in Monday's rebound in Asian chip stocks, when TSMC ended 4.7 per cent higher in Taiwan.

The October revenue report is a sales update, not a profitability update. It does not disclose October earnings, operating costs or margins, and the figures are unaudited. Even so, the acceleration in growth, from 54.6 per cent year on year in September to 59.7 per cent in October, suggests the AI chip boom has not yet run out of momentum.