AI drives memory shortage through 2027, PSMC lifts 2Q26 margin to 28%

AI-driven demand for memory, power management chips, and advanced packaging has continued to tighten supply and demand in the foundry market. Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (PSMC) reported second quarter 2026 revenue of NT$17.291 billion (approx. US$537.8 million), up 27% quarter-over-quarter and 53% year-over-year, while gross margin jumped to 28%, up 18pp from the first quarter; operating margin reached 21%, turning positive from the same period in 2025, and net profit after tax came to NT$3.291 billion, an EPS of NT$0.76.

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MacBook Neo drives Apple notebook shipments up 10% but A18 Pro shortages cap growth

Apple’s MacBook Neo is selling briskly, lifting the company’s notebook brand shipments by more than 10% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, but supply shortages are emerging as a major risk. Supply-chain sources had expected MacBook Neo shipments to reach 10 million units in 2026, but a key component bottleneck could weigh on sales.

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PSMC lifts DRAM foundry prices 45% as 3D AI Foundry targets 20% revenue share

Major cloud service providers (CSPs) have front-loaded purchases of future DRAM capacity, and the global memory supply-demand gap is expected to last through 2027. Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (PSMC) said on a July 14, 2026, online earnings call that it raised DRAM wafer start prices in July by about 45% from June, with the increase expected to flow into revenue and profit from November, while 8-inch and 12-inch logic foundry prices also rose 10-15%.

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Formosa Plastics raises pay 4.5% as it pushes transformation and new energy investments

Formosa Plastics Group said it will keep its annual salary increase tradition in 2026, approving an overall pay raise of 4.5% through its management center. The move comes as the Taiwanese industrial conglomerate continues a shift toward higher-value products, business transformation and new-energy investment while managing recent pressure from geopolitics, oversupply, oil price swings and foreign exchange losses.

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Wingtech Technology warns of first-half 2026 loss amid control limits at Nexperia

Wingtech Technology said its first-half 2026 results are likely to swing to a loss, reflecting the impact of restricted control over its Nexperia unit in Europe. The outlook matters for global electronics supply chains, where any prolonged disruption at a major semiconductor supplier could affect customers, investors, and component availability worldwide.

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Jensen Huang’s Akihabara visit honors partners behind Nvidia’s 33-year rise

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to attend an event in Tokyo’s Akihabara district on July 15, marking the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Nvidia GeForce Japan and gaming company Sega. The appearance drawing the most attention will be Huang’s reunion with former Sega president Shoichiro Irimajiri, turning the brief visit into what many have described as a journey of gratitude.

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