Massive demand for AI hardware means business is booming for TSMC -- the biggest contract maker of microchips used in everything from Apple phones to Nvidia processors.

TSMC's net profit for the first three months of the year jumped 58.3% YoY to NT$572.5 billion ($18 billion), beating analyst estimates of NT$540.20 billion as governments and tech giants continue to pour huge sums into building data centers that can train and run AI tools such as chatbots, image generators and agents that can execute tasks. A weaker Taiwanese dollar had also boosted the firm's revenues from overseas sales: the company said net revenue rose 35.1% YoY to a record NT$1.13 trillion. Gross margin was 66.2% in the first quarter, further increased from a record 62.3% last quarter.

Here is the full Q1 breakdown:

Sales NT$1.13 trillion, +35% y/y, estimate NT$1.12 trillion
Net income NT$572.5 billion, +58% y/y, estimate NT$542.38 billion
Gross margin 66.2% vs. 62.3% q/q, estimate 64.5%
Operating profit NT$658.97 billion, +62% y/y, estimate NT$623.82 billion
Operating margin 58.1% vs. 54% q/q, estimate 55.6%
While overall earnings were stellar, largely thanks to relentless AI chip demand, one weak point was smartphone revenue, which fell 11% compared to the previous quarter as the industry faces an ongoing memory shortage.

"The recent situation in the Middle East... brings further macroeconomic uncertainties, as such we are being prudent in our business planning," TSMC chairman CC Wei said.  TSMC CFO Wendell Huang said the company did not expect the war to impact its supply of key chipmaking materials such as helium and hydrogen in the near term, despite mounting fears that the collapse in Qatar helium exports would wreak havoc on global chip production.

"We source from multiple suppliers in different regions, and we have prepared safety stock inventory on hand," Huang told an earnings call, adding that energy supplies were also sufficient to continue operations as normal for now.

TSMC said its revenue for the April-June quarter will reach another record of between $39 billion and $40.2 billion, which represents 32% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. Gross margin is expected to be between 65.5% to 67.5%. Commenting on the forecast, Bloomberg said that "TSMC's 2Q gross-margin guide above 1Q's record suggests rising chemical and gas costs tied to Middle East disruption aren't enough to derail the company's structural margin reset"