FocalTech Systems, a display driver IC (DDI) supplier, held an earnings conference on February 26. Chairman Genda Hu said 2025 operations came in below expectations, as the fading effect of China’s subsidy programs and memory shortages weakened smartphone demand, with possible headwinds continuing into 2026. The first quarter is a seasonal low point, with demand expected to recover gradually from the second quarter.

As expected, Nvidia delivered another strong earnings beat for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2026, reinforcing the view that global demand for AI computing remains resilient despite mounting geopolitical pressures. For the fiscal year, the company posted more than US$120 billion in profit with a gross margin of 71.1%, underscoring the extraordinary profitability of AI infrastructure even as export controls and trade tensions intensified during the first year of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to The Information, Meta has signed a multibillion-dollar, multi-year agreement to rent artificial intelligence chips from Google, marking a significant shift in the competitive landscape of AI hardware and signaling growing efforts by major technology companies to reduce dependence on Nvidia’s dominant processors. Under the agreement, Meta will use Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) to train next-generation AI models, including future versions of its Llama systems. The deal expands Meta’s computing options at a time when demand for AI infrastructure is surging and access to advanced chips has become a strategic constraint across the industry.

The Indonesian government’s move to cut nickel ore production from 2026 is expected to tighten raw material supply and weaken low-price competition from Chinese steelmakers, Walsin Lihwa said, adding that its Indonesian plant shipments remain unaffected.