Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which CNBC calls the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported consolidated revenue of about NT$586.89 billion for October 2026. That is up 14.7 percent from September 2026 and up 59.7 percent from October 2025, the company said on November 10, 2026.
CNBC put the October figure at $17.88 billion. IBTimes Taiwan, citing Central News Agency, called it TSMC's highest monthly revenue ever.
The numbers
TSMC's release and its monthly revenue page give the 2026 figures, and the 2025 monthly revenue page gives the 2025 figures. TSMC notes that 2026 figures have not been audited.
- October 2026 revenue: NT$586.89 billion.
- September 2026 revenue: NT$511.86 billion.
- October 2025 revenue: NT$367.47 billion.
- January through October 2026: NT$4,485.62 billion, up 43.3 percent from NT$3,130.44 billion in the same period of 2025.
Before October, TSMC's highest month this year was August, at NT$514.81 billion, according to the monthly revenue page. IBTimes Taiwan reports that August was also the previous all-time high.
What is driving it
TSMC's monthly report gives no reasons for the change. Other sources point to AI and advanced chips.
CNBC wrote: "The world's largest contract chipmaker benefited from strong demand for advanced semiconductors, as major technology companies continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence."
IBTimes Taiwan reports that market analysts believe demand for AI chips and shipments of TSMC's 2nm process were key drivers. TSMC itself did not give this reason in the monthly report.
TSMC's own most recent comments came with its third-quarter results on October 15, 2026. In the earnings release, Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said: "Moving into fourth quarter 2026, we expect our business to be supported by continued strong demand for our leading-edge process technologies, including the steep ramp-up of our 2-nanometer technology."
The same release breaks down wafer revenue by process node for the third quarter:
- 2-nanometer: 8 percent of total wafer revenue.
- 3-nanometer: 33 percent.
- 5-nanometer: 28 percent.
- 7-nanometer: 10 percent.
- 7-nanometer and more advanced, which TSMC calls advanced technologies: 79 percent.
How October compares with TSMC's fourth-quarter guidance
On October 15, 2026, TSMC guided fourth-quarter revenue of $52.3 billion to $54.3 billion, based on an exchange rate of 1 US dollar to 31.8 NT dollars. It expects a gross margin of 65 percent to 67 percent and an operating margin of 56.5 percent to 58.5 percent.
On the earnings call, Wendell Huang said the revenue range "represents a 14% sequential increase or a 58% year-over-year increase at the midpoint."
IBTimes Taiwan reports that, at the guidance exchange rate, fourth-quarter revenue would be about NT$1.66 trillion to NT$1.73 trillion. It says analysts used the guidance to estimate monthly revenue for November and December of NT$538.1 billion to NT$569.9 billion. Those are analyst estimates, not TSMC figures.
For reference, third-quarter revenue was NT$1,494.24 billion, or $46.72 billion, up 41.2 percent year over year in US dollars, according to the earnings release. Gross margin was 66.4 percent and operating margin was 58.7 percent.
Margins and risks TSMC has flagged
On the call, Wendell Huang said: "Gross margin decreased by 1.3 percentage points sequentially to 66.4%, primarily due to margin dilution from 2-nanometer ramp." He also said: "We have just guided our fourth quarter gross margin to decrease by 40 basis points to 66% at the midpoint, primarily due to the continued margin dilution from the steep ramp-up of our 2-nanometer technology, as well as dilution from overseas fabs."
TSMC also gave a note of caution about parts of the market. "Looking ahead, we continue to observe consumer and price-sensitive end market segments are being challenged due to the impact of rising component prices and more economic uncertainties," Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said on the call. He said TSMC is being prudent in its business planning going into 2027.
CNBC reports that TSMC expects capital expenditure from 2026 to 2028 to be significantly higher than in the previous three years.
Market and Taiwan exports
TSMC shares closed 2.24 percent higher on Tuesday, November 10, in Taiwan, CNBC reported. CNBC also noted that Taiwan's financial regulator had tightened short-selling limits, with the change taking effect on Monday, November 9.
Separately, CNBC reported that Taiwan's exports rose 58.9 percent in October from a year earlier to $96.76 billion, according to government data released on Monday. Citing local media reports of finance ministry data, CNBC said electronic components exports rose 61.4 percent.
Related coverage
For more on TSMC and the AI chip supply chain, see our earlier reports on TSMC's reported CoWoS price hike and Samsung's plan to make Nvidia HBM base dies on TSMC 3nm. On the server side, see Supermicro's first-quarter results.
Sources
- TSMC: October 2026 Revenue Report (November 10, 2026)
- TSMC: 2026 Monthly Revenue
- TSMC: 2025 Monthly Revenue
- TSMC: Third Quarter 2026 Earnings Release (October 15, 2026)
- TSMC: 2026 Q3 Quarterly Results, guidance and call transcript
- CNBC: TSMC's October sales jump as global chip boom rolls on
- IBTimes Taiwan: TSMC October revenue jumps 59.7% to record monthly high
