Asian investors move beyond TSMC, boosting exposure to MediaTek and Samsung

Bloomberg reported on May 21 that investors in Asia are looking beyond Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the company that for several years served as one of the region’s clearest market proxies for Nvidia Corp.’s artificial-intelligence boom. The shift has lifted interest in MediaTek Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. as money moves into a wider set of semiconductor names tied to AI demand. (bloomberg.com) (pr.tsmc.com) TSMC remains central to the AI supply chain. The company said on May 8 that April 2026 revenue reached NT$410.73 billion, up 17.5% from a year earlier, and Reuters reported on April 16 that TSMC raised its annual revenue forecast and planned higher capital spending to meet demand for advanced AI chips. (samsung.com) ### Why are investors looking past TSMC if TSMC is still growing? TSMC’s own numbers still show expansion. April revenue slipped 1.1% from March but rose from the same month a year earlier, according to the company’s monthly sales release. Reuters reported in April that TSMC was still benefiting from what it called relentless demand for AI chips. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg said the change is not a retreat from AI hardware but a broadening of the trade. After years in which TSMC was treated as Asia’s best Nvidia proxy, investors are now seeking exposure to other parts of the semiconductor stack. (pr.tsmc.com) ### What do MediaTek and Samsung offer that is different? Samsung brings memory and manufacturing exposure. CNBC reported on May 6 that Samsung crossed a $1 trillion market valuation after first-quarter operating profit rose more than eightfold, helped by AI-chip demand. Bloomberg, in a separate report carried by other outlets, said Samsung’s rally reflected the market’s view that memory has become structurally important to AI infrastructure. (pr.tsmc.com) MediaTek gives investors a different route into the AI buildout. Bloomberg identified the Taiwanese chip designer as one of the names benefiting as investors widened their search beyond foundries. (bloomberg.com) MediaTek’s investor-relations site lists regular financial reports and analyst coverage, underscoring its place as a closely watched listed semiconductor company in Taiwan. ### Is this a bet on memory, design, or the whole AI supply chain? Samsung’s role points to memory. CNBC said the company’s gains followed strong profit growth tied to AI chips, while Bloomberg’s earlier reporting linked Samsung’s rise to demand for memory used in AI systems. (cnbc.com) TSMC’s position points to manufacturing. Reuters said the company is the world’s biggest contract manufacturer of advanced AI chips, and TSMC’s April sales release showed that AI-related demand is still supporting revenue growth. (bloomberg.com) MediaTek’s inclusion points to chip design and adjacent device demand. Bloomberg’s report framed the move as investors searching for new winners as the AI boom spreads across Asia’s semiconductor ecosystem. (cnbc.com) ### Does this mean investors are turning negative on TSMC? TSMC’s recent disclosures do not show a collapse in demand. The company reported higher April revenue from a year earlier, and Reuters said in April that it lifted its full-year revenue outlook. The Bloomberg report instead described a rotation within the same theme. (money.usnews.com) Investors appear to be adding exposure to companies seen as beneficiaries of AI spending rather than abandoning the foundry leader outright. That is an inference from the combination of TSMC’s still-rising revenue and Bloomberg’s reporting on flows into MediaTek and Samsung. (bloomberg.com) ### Where can investors watch the next steps? Samsung’s investor-relations site lists conference appearances and financial materials, including recent events in May 2026. MediaTek’s investor-relations page similarly provides its financial reports, analyst coverage and investor calendar. (pr.tsmc.com) TSMC continues to publish monthly revenue updates, with its April report released on May 8. (samsung.com) (bloomberg.com)