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China Nanjing TSMC Campus
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TSMC surges after posting stellar Q4 results, impressive Q1 outlook

The foundry giant plans to spend way more on capex this year to meet growing demand from the AI boom.

Luke Kawa

TSMC is ripping higher in premarket trading after the world’s largest chip manufacturer posted superb Q4 results and offered a Q1 outlook that was brighter than analysts had anticipated.

The Taiwanese firm posted Q4 earnings per share of NT$19.50 (or $0.63), well above estimates for NT$18.12 (or $0.57).

The company’s ability to turn sales into profits was also better than analysts had projected, with a Q4 gross margin of 62.3% (estimate: 60.6%) and operating margin of 54% (estimate: 50.9%). Both figures exceeded the upper end of management’s Q4 guidance.

The foundry giant had already provided sales figures through December as of last Friday, which totaled NT$1.046 trillion (or approximately $33.7 billion). That figure was ahead of Wall Street’s projection for NT$1.02 trillion.

For the current quarter, management expects revenues to come in between $34.6 billion and $35.8 billion, far exceeding the consensus estimate for $33.2 billion.

Its outlook for margins was similarly robust, with gross margins expected to range from 63% to 65% (estimate: 59.6%). Its operating margin guidance was 54% to 56%, the low point of which is still above the highest analyst’s estimate.

These strong results also fueled gains for ASML, the Dutch maker of lithography machines key to the manufacturing of chips.

The AI boom is in full swing, and everyone’s looking for TSMC to serve as a key partner to meet demand for their products. On their earnings call, management indicated that its capital budget would be between $52 billion and $56 billion this year, with 70% to 80% of that being allocated to advanced process technologies.

This release was preceded by reports that Taiwan expects to sign a trade deal with the US imminently, in which TSMC is expected to play a key part. Taiwanese officials are aiming to get tariffs lowered as well as earn special treatment for semiconductor exports, as the company expands its manufacturing footprint on US soil in return.

The positive reaction this morning looks to be bucking a trend for TSMC’s stock, which has fallen in 12 of the last 13 sessions after reporting quarterly results.

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Victoria’s Secret jumps after posting surging sales and raising full-year outlook

Victoria’s Secret shares are up more than 40% in early trading after the apparel retailer delivered a strong Q1 earnings beat and substantially lifted its full-year guidance. It was a welcome win for the company as it officially changed its stock ticker symbol to VSXY from VSCO on the New York Stock Exchange.

Key numbers:

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.60 (compared to analyst estimates of $0.30).

  • Net sales of $1.56 billion, a 15% year-over-year increase (estimate: $1.52 billion).

  • Adjusted operating income of $80 million (estimate: $42 million).

Comparable sales rose 13% during the quarter, beating the estimated 12%. The company said double-digit growth was recorded across its Victoria’s Secret, PINK, and Beauty brands, as well as across stores and direct and international channels.

Buoyed by the strong momentum, management raised the retailer’s full-year guidance. Victoria’s Secret now projects full-year net sales to reach between $7.03 billion and $7.13 billion, up from a previous cap of $6.95 billion. Adjusted operating income is now anticipated to land between $550 million and $580 million, a jump from the previously projected range of $430 million to $460 million.

“Our customer responded strongly to our product innovation, emotionally resonant storytelling, and distinct brand projection, driving double-digit growth in new customer acquisition, increased regular-price selling, and broad-based strength across categories, channels, and geographies,” CEO Hillary Super said in a statement. “These results reflect the progress we are making against our Path to Potential strategy as we continue to strengthen customer connection, build brand heat, and drive sustainable long-term growth.”

The company’s “Path to Potential” transformation strategy was launched to right-track the business after a multiyear stretch of declining sales and cultural scrutiny. The changed ticker also signals a fresh corporate chapter under Super, who is steering the retailer through a major brand turnaround.

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Dollar General posts Q1 EPS beat and boosts guidance, though revenue misses slightly

Dollar General reported mixed first-quarter results, pairing an earnings beat and a boosted full-year profit forecast with a slight revenue miss.

Key numbers:

  • EPS of $2 (compared to analyst estimates of $1.90).

  • Revenue of $10.79 billion (estimate: $10.83 billion).

  • Same-store sales growth of 2% year over year.

Shares of the company fell 2.1% in early trading, reversing the gains they had made premarket.

Buoyed by the bottom-line strength, Dollar General also raised its fiscal 2026 profit outlook, now forecasting full-year earnings per share to land between $7.20 and $7.45, up from its previous guidance of $7.10 to $7.35. Meanwhile, management reiterated its full-year same-store sales growth target of 2.2% to 2.7%.

Management noted that the retailer’s increase in profit was boosted by contributions from new stores and growth in same-store sales, partially offset by the impact of store closures.

Heightened economic uncertainty, ongoing US import tariffs, and rising gas prices tied to the Iran war could also be weighing on everyday households’ purchasing decisions, causing them to pull back on spending in general or trade down to more affordable basic essentials.

“Our topline results were highlighted by positive customer traffic and balanced category growth,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO, said in the press release. “Looking ahead, we believe the essential nature of our offering and our expansive footprint position us well to navigate the current macroeconomic environment.”

Shares of Dollar General are down more than 20% year to date.

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Marvell soars after Nvidia CEO says it will be the “next trillion-dollar company”

Marvell Technology surged after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the chipmaker, which his company has a stake in, ⁠the next “trillion-dollar company.”

Huang made the comments at the Computex ​expo in Taipei on ‌Tuesday. It’s not the first vote of confidence for Marvell from the world’s most valuable company: Nvidia announced a strategic partnership with Marvell in March, saying that it has invested $2 billion in the company.

Marvell’s market capitalization as of Monday’s close was around $192 billion, meaning that Huang’s prediction would hinge on a more than 420% rally. Huang said computing is becoming increasingly disaggregated and distributed, creating a need for advanced connectivity, which is what Marvell specializes in.

“Thats the reason why Marvell is so essential,” Huang said, standing onstage next to Marvell CEO Matt Murphy. “Thats why you’re going to be the next trillion-dollar company.”

The stock rose 23% in premarket trading on Tuesday and is up more than 145% since the start of the year.

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HP Enterprise skyrockets on strong Q2 earnings and full-year guidance boost

HP Enterprise shares soared Monday afternoon following the enterprise software companys Q2 earnings report, which detailed a blockbuster quarter.

The stock was up more than 30% — not a typo — after-hours.

Here are the numbers for Q2:

  • Revenue of $10.7 billion (compared to the analyst estimate of $9.78 billion, per FactSet).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.79 (estimate: $0.53).

The company raised its guidance for the full fiscal year, saying it sees revenue growth of 29% to 33%, compared with its previous guidance for 17% to 22%. It also guided for adjusted EPS of $3.35 to $3.45 for the full year, up from the $2.30 to $2.50 it had estimated in its Q1 earnings release.

For its early fiscal 2027 guidance, HPE said it expects revenue to grow 8% to 12%, compared with analysts expectations for 5.5% growth. It also said it expects adjusted EPS growth of 12% to 16%, compared to analysts forecasts of a 13.5% rise.

Unlike HP, which makes consumer products like PCs and printers, HP Enterprise is primed to support the AI boom — specializing in cloud servers, data storage systems, and AI infrastructure. HPE has gained 90% since January.

Last week, competitor Dell saw a similarly rosy earnings report, which boosted its stock nearly 40%.

On Monday at Computex, HPE announced a new project with Nvidia: a new server powered by the semiconductor company. Agentic AI has arrived, and it needs a new CPU, said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. According to the companies, the plan is to support and optimize the New York Stock Exchanges day-to-day infrastructure with industry leading agentic AI CPU performance, memory bandwidth and low latency.

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