GF Securities Initiates Coverage of Tower Semiconductor with Buy Rating
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 12 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Initiation of Coverage: GF Securities (Hong Kong) has initiated coverage of Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) with a Buy rating and a price target of $253, reflecting confidence in its future growth potential.
- Market Positioning Advantage: Analyst Alicia Xia highlighted that Tower Semiconductor holds a differentiated position in the silicon photonics space, effectively capitalizing on the structural growth opportunities presented by AI optical interconnects, with significant benefits expected from the rapid ramp of 800G/1.6T pluggable modules.
- Capacity Expansion Plans: Tower Semiconductor aims to increase its silicon photonics capacity by over 5x compared to the Q4 2025 run-rate, with over 70% of this capacity already booked through 2028, indicating a strong position in the high-growth AI optical supply chain.
- Stock Price Volatility: Despite the positive rating from GF Securities, Tower Semiconductor's shares fell approximately 3% in premarket trading on Tuesday, reflecting market caution regarding its short-term performance.
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Analyst Views on TSEM
Wall Street analysts forecast TSEM stock price to fall
5 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 275.500
Low
114.00
Averages
134.80
High
150.00
Current: 275.500
Low
114.00
Averages
134.80
High
150.00
About TSEM
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. operates as an independent semiconductor foundry focused primarily on specialty process technologies. The Company focuses on producing integrated circuits (ICs) based on the design specifications of its customers. The Company manufactures semiconductors for its customers primarily based on third-party designs. It offers process manufacture geometries of 0.35, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.80-micron and above on 150 millimeter wafers, 0.35, 0.18. 0.16, 0.13 and 0.11-micron on 200 millimeter wafers, and 65 nanometer and 45 nanometer on 300 millimeter wafers. It also provides design support and technical services. The Company's ICs are incorporated into a range of products in markets, including consumer electronics, personal computers, communications, automotive, industrial and medical device products. The Company has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Israel and Japan.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Tower Semiconductor Reports Strong Quarterly Earnings and Analyst Upgrades
- Strong Quarterly Performance: Tower Semiconductor reported first-quarter revenue of $413.6 million, a 15% year-over-year increase, with net profit soaring 62% to $65 million, exceeding analyst expectations and demonstrating robust market demand and profitability.
- Optimistic Revenue Guidance: Management projected second-quarter revenue of $455 million, which would set a new company record if achieved, surpassing the average analyst estimate of $436.4 million, indicating significant future growth potential for the company.
- Major Contract Signings: Tower Semiconductor signed contracts worth $1.3 billion to supply silicon photonics products to its largest clients, expected to generate substantial revenue next year and further solidifying its market position in photonics technology.
- Analyst Price Target Increases: Following the strong earnings report, Craig-Hallum's Richard Shannon raised his price target from $175 to $325, while Benchmark's Cody Acree increased his from $230 to $335, both maintaining buy ratings, reflecting the market's optimistic outlook on the company's prospects.
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Susquehanna Raises Tower Semiconductor Price Target to $330
- Price Target Increase: Susquehanna raised Tower Semiconductor's price target from $180 to $330 while maintaining a Positive rating, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth and suggesting that the stock may benefit from sustained semiconductor demand.
- Earnings Forecast Upgrade: Analysts expect Tower's annualized EPS to reach approximately $7 by 2027 and rise to about $8 by the end of 2028, indicating strong growth potential in profitability that could further drive stock price appreciation.
- Capacity Expansion Plans: Tower's management framed the $1.3 billion in 2027 SiPho commitments as a base case forecast, with actual shipments expected to exceed this level, highlighting the company's positive progress in converting RF-SOI to SiPh and the ongoing 300mm expansion at Fab 7 Uozu.
- Strong Market Performance: Following first-quarter results that exceeded market expectations, Tower's shares rose about 2% on Thursday, reflecting investor optimism about the company's future performance and further solidifying its competitive position in the semiconductor industry.
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Tech Giants Propel Market Gains
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- Earnings Beat: Cisco's earnings surpassed market expectations, showcasing robust performance in the networking equipment sector, which further solidifies its leadership position in the industry and may attract more investor interest in its stock.
- IPO Pricing Update: AI chipmaker Cerebras announced plans for its initial public offering (IPO), which could provide the company with new funding sources while reflecting ongoing market enthusiasm for AI technologies, potentially sparking an investment surge in related sectors.
- Tech Stock Influence: The performance of tech giants not only propelled the market upward but may also affect investor sentiment across other industries, intensifying market focus on technological innovation and signaling future investment opportunities in the tech sector.
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Tower Semiconductor Issues Upbeat Growth Forecast
- Significant Revenue Growth: Tower Semiconductor reported a 15% year-over-year revenue increase to $414 million in Q1, demonstrating steady expansion across various sectors including industrial, automotive, and medical, thereby solidifying its market position.
- Substantial Profit Increase: The company's net profit surged 62% to $65 million, translating to $0.57 per share, with net margins improving from 11% to 16% year-over-year, reflecting enhanced operational scale and profitability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Tower forecasts a revenue growth of approximately 22% to $455 million in Q2, with continued margin expansion expected throughout 2026, indicating management's confidence in future growth.
- Key Contract Signings: The company announced photonics-related contracts projected to generate $1.3 billion in revenue by 2027, with $290 million in prepayments, showcasing customer confidence in its ability to meet the demands of next-generation AI data center architectures.
See More
Tower Semiconductor Secures $290 Million in Upfront Payments
- Capacity Expansion: Tower Semiconductor has secured $290 million in upfront customer payments to reserve future manufacturing capacity, which is expected to bolster its revenue goals for 2028, reflecting strong confidence in future demand.
- Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 15% year-over-year increase in first-quarter revenue to $414 million, surpassing Wall Street's estimate of $411 million, with a net profit of $65 million, indicating its growing competitiveness in the market.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Tower Semiconductor anticipates achieving a record quarterly revenue of $455 million in the second quarter, representing a 22% increase from the same period last year, which will further solidify its market position in the semiconductor industry.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Retail investor sentiment for Tower Semiconductor has flipped from 'bearish' to 'bullish', indicating growing confidence in its future performance, with the stock gaining over 84% year-to-date.
See More
Tower Semiconductor Reports Strong Quarterly Earnings and Analyst Upgrades
- Strong Quarterly Performance: Tower Semiconductor reported first-quarter revenue of $413.6 million, a 15% year-over-year increase, with net profit soaring 62% to $65 million, exceeding analyst expectations and demonstrating robust market demand and profitability.
- Optimistic Revenue Guidance: Management projected second-quarter revenue of $455 million, which would set a new company record if achieved, surpassing the average analyst estimate of $436.4 million, indicating significant future growth potential for the company.
- Major Contract Signings: Tower Semiconductor signed contracts worth $1.3 billion to supply silicon photonics products to its largest clients, expected to generate substantial revenue next year and further solidifying its market position in photonics technology.
- Analyst Price Target Increases: Following the strong earnings report, Craig-Hallum's Richard Shannon raised his price target from $175 to $325, while Benchmark's Cody Acree increased his from $230 to $335, both maintaining buy ratings, reflecting the market's optimistic outlook on the company's prospects.
See More
Susquehanna Raises Tower Semiconductor Price Target to $330
- Price Target Increase: Susquehanna raised Tower Semiconductor's price target from $180 to $330 while maintaining a Positive rating, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth and suggesting that the stock may benefit from sustained semiconductor demand.
- Earnings Forecast Upgrade: Analysts expect Tower's annualized EPS to reach approximately $7 by 2027 and rise to about $8 by the end of 2028, indicating strong growth potential in profitability that could further drive stock price appreciation.
- Capacity Expansion Plans: Tower's management framed the $1.3 billion in 2027 SiPho commitments as a base case forecast, with actual shipments expected to exceed this level, highlighting the company's positive progress in converting RF-SOI to SiPh and the ongoing 300mm expansion at Fab 7 Uozu.
- Strong Market Performance: Following first-quarter results that exceeded market expectations, Tower's shares rose about 2% on Thursday, reflecting investor optimism about the company's future performance and further solidifying its competitive position in the semiconductor industry.
See More
Futures Rise as Cisco Soars on Strong Earnings
- Cisco's Strong Earnings: Cisco reported a 10% increase in quarterly revenue, reaching $15 billion, exceeding market expectations, which boosts investor confidence and is likely to positively impact the company's stock price.
- Futures Market Rally: Following Cisco's robust performance, futures markets saw a broad rise, with S&P 500 futures up 1.5%, indicating optimistic sentiment towards tech stocks and potentially sparking a wider investment surge.
- High Pricing for AI Chip IPO: Cerebras priced its IPO at $50 per share, significantly above expectations, reflecting strong market demand for AI technology and is expected to raise $1 billion to support its future growth.
- Trump-Xi Summit Commences: The summit between Trump and Xi has officially begun, with markets closely watching potential cooperation in trade and technology, which could have profound implications for the global economy.
See More
Tech Giants Propel Market Gains
- Market Rally: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices rose, primarily driven by tech giants like Google, Nvidia, and Tesla, reflecting strong investor confidence in technology stocks and potentially signaling sustained market growth ahead.
- Earnings Beat: Cisco's earnings surpassed market expectations, showcasing robust performance in the networking equipment sector, which further solidifies its leadership position in the industry and may attract more investor interest in its stock.
- IPO Pricing Update: AI chipmaker Cerebras announced plans for its initial public offering (IPO), which could provide the company with new funding sources while reflecting ongoing market enthusiasm for AI technologies, potentially sparking an investment surge in related sectors.
- Tech Stock Influence: The performance of tech giants not only propelled the market upward but may also affect investor sentiment across other industries, intensifying market focus on technological innovation and signaling future investment opportunities in the tech sector.
See More
Tower Semiconductor Issues Upbeat Growth Forecast
- Significant Revenue Growth: Tower Semiconductor reported a 15% year-over-year revenue increase to $414 million in Q1, demonstrating steady expansion across various sectors including industrial, automotive, and medical, thereby solidifying its market position.
- Substantial Profit Increase: The company's net profit surged 62% to $65 million, translating to $0.57 per share, with net margins improving from 11% to 16% year-over-year, reflecting enhanced operational scale and profitability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Tower forecasts a revenue growth of approximately 22% to $455 million in Q2, with continued margin expansion expected throughout 2026, indicating management's confidence in future growth.
- Key Contract Signings: The company announced photonics-related contracts projected to generate $1.3 billion in revenue by 2027, with $290 million in prepayments, showcasing customer confidence in its ability to meet the demands of next-generation AI data center architectures.
See More
Tower Semiconductor Secures $290 Million in Upfront Payments
- Capacity Expansion: Tower Semiconductor has secured $290 million in upfront customer payments to reserve future manufacturing capacity, which is expected to bolster its revenue goals for 2028, reflecting strong confidence in future demand.
- Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 15% year-over-year increase in first-quarter revenue to $414 million, surpassing Wall Street's estimate of $411 million, with a net profit of $65 million, indicating its growing competitiveness in the market.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Tower Semiconductor anticipates achieving a record quarterly revenue of $455 million in the second quarter, representing a 22% increase from the same period last year, which will further solidify its market position in the semiconductor industry.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Retail investor sentiment for Tower Semiconductor has flipped from 'bearish' to 'bullish', indicating growing confidence in its future performance, with the stock gaining over 84% year-to-date.
See More
