TSMC (TSM) reports third-quarter 2026 results on Thursday, October 15, with its earnings conference starting at 14:00 Taiwan time (02:00 ET).Unlike most companies, TSMC has already told the market itsTSMC (TSM) reports third-quarter 2026 results on Thursday, October 15, with its earnings conference starting at 14:00 Taiwan time (02:00 ET).Unlike most companies, TSMC has already told the market its
TSMC Q3 2026 Earnings Preview: Oct 15 Date, AI Demand and Margins
TSMC (TSM) reports third-quarter 2026 results on Thursday, October 15, with its earnings conference starting at 14:00 Taiwan time (02:00 ET).
Unlike most companies, TSMC has already told the market its revenue: monthly sales put Q3 at a record NT$1.494 trillion, above the top of its own guidance.
That shifts the focus of the call to three questions: whether margins held up through the 2nm ramp, how strong fourth-quarter guidance will be, and whether capital spending keeps rising.
When does TSMC report Q3 2026 earnings?
TSMC will hold its Q3 2026 earnings conference on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after a quiet period that runs from October 5 to October 14. The call time in major time zones:
- Taiwan / Beijing / Singapore: October 15, 14:00
- India (IST): October 15, 11:30
- London (BST): October 15, 07:00
- US Eastern (ET): October 15, 02:00
- US Pacific (PT): October 14, 23:00
The call starts after Taiwan's stock market closes at 13:30 local time and before US pre-market trading opens, so neither TSMC's Taiwan shares nor its US-listed ADR can react until hours later.
What did TSMC guide for Q3 2026?
In its Q2 2026 earnings release, TSMC gave the following Q3 2026 guidance:
- Revenue: US$44.6 billion to US$45.8 billion, based on an exchange rate of NT$32.0 per US dollar
- Gross margin: 65.0% to 67.0%, down from 67.7% in Q2
- Operating margin: 56.0% to 58.0%, down from 60.3% in Q2
Management guided margins lower because it expects the steep ramp of its 2-nanometer process to dilute gross margin by about 3 to 4 percentage points in the second half, CFO Wendell Huang said on the Q2 earnings call.
Revenue is already known: what the monthly numbers show
TSMC reported September revenue of NT$511.86 billion, down 0.6% from August but up 54.6% from a year earlier.
Adding July, August and September from TSMC's monthly revenue table gives Q3 revenue of NT$1,494.24 billion, up 50.9% year over year and 17.6% from Q2's NT$1,270.38 billion.
At the NT$32.0 exchange rate TSMC used for guidance, that equals roughly US$46.7 billion, about US$0.9 billion above the top of the guided range.
Revenue is not the open question on October 15; profitability and outlook are.
What counts as a beat on October 15?
These are the benchmarks the results will be measured against, in order of how much they are likely to move the stock:
- Gross margin: above 67.0% means TSMC absorbed 2nm ramp costs better than planned; 65.0% to 67.0% is in line; below 65.0% signals heavier dilution.
- Q4 revenue guidance: the roughly US$46.7 billion Q3 base is the new bar; a guidance midpoint above it signals that AI demand is still accelerating into year-end.
- Net profit: LSEG analysts expect Q3 net profit to rise 64% year over year to NT$740.8 billion, Reuters reported on October 8.
- Capital spending: TSMC raised its 2026 capital budget to US$60 billion to US$64 billion in July, up from US$52 billion to US$56 billion, according to the Q2 call transcript; any move toward the top of that range, or early 2027 color, will be read as a signal on AI demand.
- Full-year growth: management guided 2026 US-dollar revenue growth of slightly above 40% on the same call, while January-to-September revenue in New Taiwan dollars is already up 41.1%, leaving room for an upgrade.
Why this call matters for AI stocks this week
TSMC reports just days after concerns about AI infrastructure funding hit chip and optical stocks, with Lumentum and Ciena falling about 10% on October 12.
TSM was not spared: the ADR closed at $444.35 on October 12, down 1.98% and its third straight daily decline.
High-performance computing made up 66% of TSMC's Q2 revenue, and CEO C.C. Wei said on the July call that packaging capacity was so tight it was limiting customers' growth.
That makes its comments on AI demand, advanced packaging capacity and capital spending a read-through for Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, and a direct test of the funding worries behind this week's selloff.
MEXC data: TSM futures ahead of the call
MEXC's TSM/USDT perpetual futures trade around the clock, including the hours when TSMC's results land and both stock markets are closed. Snapshot taken at 14:19 Beijing time (02:19 ET) on October 13, 2026:
- Last price: $441.10, about 0.73% below the $444.35 October 12 close
- 24-hour range: $440.83 to $460.15; the high was set before the US session opened on October 12, and the low came during Asian hours on October 13
- Funding rate: +0.0010%, close to zero, showing no strong lean between long and short positions before the call
At the time of the snapshot, futures were trading at the bottom of their 24-hour range, about 4% below the pre-US-session high, as the October 12 selloff in AI hardware stocks carried into Asian hours.
Note that 24/7 trading does not mean 24/7 price discovery: in the hours after the call, futures prices can diverge from where TSM opens on the NYSE.
FAQ
When is TSMC's Q3 2026 earnings date?
TSMC holds its Q3 2026 earnings conference on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 14:00 Taiwan time, which is 02:00 ET on October 15 and 23:00 PT on October 14.
What is TSMC's Q3 2026 revenue guidance?
TSMC guided Q3 revenue of US$44.6 billion to US$45.8 billion. Its monthly reports already add up to about US$46.7 billion at the guidance exchange rate, above the top of the range.
What gross margin is TSMC expected to report?
TSMC guided a Q3 gross margin of 65.0% to 67.0%, below Q2's 67.7%, because of dilution from the 2nm ramp. A result above 67.0% would be a beat.
How could TSMC's results affect Nvidia and other AI stocks?
TSMC manufactures most leading AI chips, so its Q4 guidance and capital spending plans are read as a signal on AI demand for Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, especially after the October 12 selloff in AI hardware stocks.
Market Opportunity
Quack AI Price(Q)
$0.038132
$0.038132$0.038132
USD
Quack AI (Q) Live Price Chart
The articles shared on this page are sourced from public platforms and are provided for reference only. They do not represent the position or views of MEXC. All rights belong to James Mitchell. If you believe any content infringes upon the rights of a third party, please contact [email protected] for prompt removal. MEXC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be interpreted as a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC. For expert insights and in-depth analysis, visit MEXC Learn.
Latest Updates on Quack AI
View More
Tesla Q2 2026 Earnings Date: Release Time, Webcast and Key Metrics
Tesla’s Q2 2026 earnings report is set for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, after market close, with management scheduled to host a live Q&A webcast at 4:30 p.m. Central Time / 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The Q2 update and webcast will be available through Tesla’s Investor Relations website, with an archived replay expected after the call.
This is not just another Tesla earnings date. Tesla has already reported a stronger-than-expected delivery quarter: in Q2 2026, the company produced 451,758 vehicles, delivered 480,126 vehicles and deployed 13.5 GWh of energy storage products.
For traders, the key question is not whether Tesla delivered more vehicles. That part is already known. The real question is whether those deliveries were profitable enough, whether energy storage growth can support the broader Tesla story, and whether management can show that AI, autonomy and robotaxi investments are moving from narrative to measurable business progress.
2026/07/06
2026 Nobel Economics Prize Honors a New Foundation for Macroeconomic Policy
Robert Hall and Michael Woodford won the 2026 Nobel Economics Prize for reshaping how policymakers respond to inflation and economic shocks.
2026/10/12
Hong Kong Solana ETF: Can SOL Follow Bitcoin's Path?
Hong Kong is expanding regulated access to Solana with the listing of the Pando Solana ETF on October 13, 2026. The product, trading under stock code 2831 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, becomes the market’s second spot Solana ETF rather than its first. ChinaAMC launched its own Solana ETF on October 27, 2025, giving investors almost a year of real-world data against which the new product can be judged.
That history changes the key question. The launch is no longer simply about whether regulators will permit a Hong Kong Solana ETF. It is about whether a second issuer can deepen liquidity, attract incremental capital and turn regulated SOL exposure into a meaningful institutional allocation channel.
2026/10/13
You May Also Like
HOT
Currently trending cryptocurrencies that are gaining significant market attention
Crypto Prices
The cryptocurrencies with the highest trading volume
Newly Added
Recently listed cryptocurrencies that are available for trading