This AI Chipmaker's Profit Just Surged 58% (Hint: It's Not Nvidia). 3 Reasons to Buy This Top Artificial Intelligence Stock Right Now

By Joe Tenebruso – Apr 16, 2026 at 4:37PM ESTKey PointsOne semiconductor colossus lies at the heart of the rapidly expanding global AI ecosystem.This battle-tested stock has helped smart investors build wealth for decades.Artificial intelligence (AI) model developers like OpenAI and chip designers like Nvidia get all the glory. But there are other, less well-known ways to cash in on the AI revolution.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 3.13%) is one of the best of these often-overlooked -- yet highly lucrative -- investments. Image source: Getty Images. Make no mistake, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing is more familiar to astute investors who appreciate well-run businesses with powerful competitive advantages. As its name suggests, the Taiwan-based tech titan is a leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductor chips used across an array of industries, including smartphones, consumer electronics, and AI data centers. With a market capitalization of over $1.6 trillion, it's a proven, dominant enterprise. Yet it's set to grow far larger in the coming years. Here are three reasons why now is a great time to invest in this AI powerhouse. 1. Alliances with the AI leaders Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, often referred to as TSMC, builds the cutting-edge AI chips that Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices design. Amazon and Apple are also major customers. As are Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Intel. In all, TSMC manufactured 12,682 different products using 305 diverse technologies in 2025. By partnering with the world's biggest and best tech companies, TSMC has positioned itself to profit from a wide range of technological trends. High-performance computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles are just a few of the markets that are fueling the chipmaker's expansion. Yet it's the AI megatrend, which impacts these and many other markets, that stands as TSMC's most powerful growth driver. 2. Sales of AI hardware are booming TSMC's revenue jumped 35% year over year to $36 billion in the first quarter. Its net income, in turn, soared 58% to $18 billion, or $3.49 per American Depositary Receipt (ADR). The gains were driven primarily by strong sales of AI chips. "AI-related demand continued to be extremely robust," CEO C. C. Wei said during a conference call with analysts. Looking ahead, management expects TSMC's full-year revenue to grow by over 30% in 2026. With demand for advanced semiconductor chips outpacing supply, the company's margins are set to rise further. TSMC's earnings growth could thus be even more impressive. ExpandNYSE: TSMTaiwan Semiconductor ManufacturingToday's Change(-3.13%) $-11.75Current Price$363.35Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.9TDay's Range$360.55 - $370.2052wk Range$145.84 - $390.20Volume26MAvg Vol13MGross Margin58.73%Dividend Yield0.89% 3. Proven performance TSMC is no one-hit wonder. With sales and profit growth of over 18% annually since its debut as a publicly traded company back in 1994, the tech giant has delivered dependable operating and financial results for decades. Moreover, TSMC began paying dividends in 2004 and has never reduced its cash payments to investors. In fact, this wealth-building stalwart has more than doubled its cash payouts to shareholders over the past five years. Read NextApr 16, 2026 •By Tony DongBest Semiconductor Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestApr 16, 2026 •By Jack CaporalHow TSMC makes its money: Revenue by technology, platform, and geographyApr 14, 2026 •By Parkev Tatevosian, CFAMassive News for Taiwan Semiconductor Stock InvestorsApr 14, 2026 •By Manali Pradhan, CFAGot $5,000? This Is the No. 1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy Before Earnings Season Really Gets GoingApr 13, 2026 •By Selena Maranjian3 Promising Dividend Stocks That Insiders Have Been Buying -- Including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) StockApr 13, 2026 •By Harsh ChauhanGot $1,000?

Buy This Super Semiconductor Stock Before April 16About the AuthorJoe Tenebruso is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst with more than 3,000 financial bylines to his name. Joe was an investment analyst for Stock Advisor, Income Investor, Crypto Society, and other top-rated investing services. He also managed Tier 1 Investments, a market-crushing real-money portfolio with 24.58% annualized returns. Joe graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.tmfguardianX@Tier1InvestorStocks MentionedTaiwan Semiconductor ManufacturingNYSE: TSM$363.26(-3.16%)-$11.84AppleNASDAQ: AAPL$263.40(-1.14%)-$3.03AmazonNASDAQ: AMZN$249.24(+0.30%)+$0.74IntelNASDAQ: INTC$68.52(+5.51%)+$3.58NvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$198.43(-0.22%)-$0.44Advanced Micro DevicesNASDAQ: AMD$278.26(+7.80%)+$20.14QualcommNASDAQ: QCOM$134.47(+1.07%)+$1.42BroadcomNASDAQ: AVGO$398.72(+0.50%)+$2.00*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.