TSMC's Earnings Fail to Reveal Key Insights on the AI Boom
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 15 2026
0mins
Should l Buy GOOGL?
Source: Barron's
Taiwan Semiconductor's Role: Taiwan Semiconductor, the largest contract chip manufacturer globally, is significantly contributing to the growth of artificial intelligence investments.
Impact on AI Industry: The company's advancements and production capabilities are expected to enhance the development and deployment of AI technologies.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy GOOGL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on GOOGL
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOGL stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
27 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 309.000
Low
279.00
Averages
338.25
High
390.00
Current: 309.000
Low
279.00
Averages
338.25
High
390.00
About GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
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.
AI Competition Intensifies as ChatGPT Faces Challenges
- User Growth Comparison: Google's Gemini app has reached 750 million monthly active users, increasing by 100 million from the previous quarter, closely approaching ChatGPT's estimated 800 million users, indicating a significant threat to ChatGPT's market share.
- Revenue Driver: Although Google does not directly attribute revenue to Gemini, its strong growth in cloud and services units suggests that Gemini is a key contributor to the company's overall performance, with annual revenue surpassing $400 billion for the first time in 2025, marking a 15% year-over-year increase.
- Competitive Landscape: OpenAI faces fierce competition from major tech players like Google, as Gemini's rapid rise could erode ChatGPT's market share, forcing OpenAI to increase its infrastructure investments to maintain competitiveness.
- Funding Needs: To address competition and infrastructure commitments, OpenAI is reportedly close to completing a funding round of up to $100 billion, highlighting the financial pressures it faces in sustaining innovation and market expansion.
See More
Amazon and Alphabet's AI Spending Plans for 2026 Shock Investors
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: Alphabet announced a capital expenditure plan of $175 billion to $185 billion for 2026, while Amazon plans to spend about $200 billion, highlighting fierce competition in AI, although this will pressure their cash flows.
- Uncertain Cash Flow Outlook: Amazon's free cash flow is expected to approach zero or turn negative by 2026, while Alphabet may maintain positive cash flow, despite tapping the debt market for $32 billion to fund its data center expansion.
- Growing Backlogs: Alphabet's backlog reached $240 billion, up 55% sequentially, while Amazon's backlog grew to $244 billion, a 22% increase, indicating strong market demand for AI products for both companies.
- Market Reaction: Despite the significant investment potential in cloud computing and AI, the market reacted negatively to both companies' spending plans, leading to stock price declines and presenting long-term investors with an opportunity to buy at a discount.
See More
YouTube Surpasses $60 Billion in Revenue for 2025
- Significant Revenue Growth: YouTube generated over $60 billion in revenue in 2025, which is 33% higher than Netflix's $45 billion, showcasing its strong performance in the streaming market and dominance in ad revenue.
- Leading User Engagement: YouTube captured 12.7% of TV viewing time in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 9%, indicating YouTube's superior user retention and content diversity, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Enhanced Network Effect: As more users and content creators join, YouTube's platform value continues to rise, creating a powerful network effect that makes it more resilient in competition, attracting more advertisers and content creators.
- Technology-Driven Innovation: Alphabet's technological engine continuously optimizes YouTube's algorithms, enhancing user experience and content recommendation efficiency, ensuring the platform maintains its competitive edge in the future, particularly with the application of AI technologies.
See More
YouTube Surpasses Netflix as Video Entertainment Leader
- Significant Revenue Growth: In 2025, Netflix reported $45 billion in revenue, a 16% year-over-year increase, while YouTube exceeded $60 billion, with $40 billion from ads, showcasing YouTube's robust performance in the streaming market.
- User Base Comparison: Netflix has 325 million subscribers across over 190 countries, but YouTube's user-generated content model attracts a larger audience, further solidifying its market position and engagement levels.
- Market Share Competition: According to Nielsen, YouTube holds a 12.7% share of TV viewing time in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 9%, indicating YouTube's growing competitiveness in home entertainment, which could impact Netflix's user growth.
- Technology-Driven Advantage: Alphabet's technological engine continuously refines YouTube's algorithms to enhance user experience, increasing the platform's value as its user base grows, thus providing a more attractive monetization environment for content creators and putting Netflix under greater competitive pressure.
See More
French President Celebrates Successful Rocket Launch of 32 Amazon Leo Satellites
- Successful Rocket Launch: The French president celebrated the successful launch of Europe's most powerful rocket, which deployed 32 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, marking a significant advancement in Europe's space capabilities and enhancing its competitiveness in the global space market.
- Pause on Tech Security Measures: Ahead of the Trump-Xi Jinping meeting, the Trump administration reportedly paused several critical technology security measures targeting China, a decision that could influence the future trajectory of U.S.-China tech relations and reduce market uncertainties.
- Apple Court Victory: Apple secured a courtroom win as a jury rejected claims from Optis Wireless that it infringed on 4G wireless patents, a result that will help protect Apple's intellectual property and strengthen its market position.
- AI Industry Developments: Elon Musk criticized AI startup Anthropic for alleged bias while announcing a $30 billion funding round that pushed its valuation to $380 billion, highlighting the intense competition and rapid evolution within the AI sector.
See More
Three Tech Giants Set to Benefit from AI Surge
- Nvidia's Market Leadership: As a leading designer of AI processors, Nvidia is poised to benefit from the increasing spending on AI data center infrastructure, particularly as Alphabet and Meta ramp up capital expenditures to $185 billion and $135 billion respectively, driving demand for Nvidia's processors.
- Alphabet's Gemini Success: Alphabet's Gemini chatbot now boasts 750 million monthly active users, a 67% increase from nine months ago, and has secured a partnership with Apple to make Gemini the underlying AI model for an upcoming version of Siri, which is expected to generate billions in revenue for Alphabet.
- Taiwan Semiconductor's Market Share: Taiwan Semiconductor holds a 70% share of the global semiconductor manufacturing market, with revenue projected to increase by 30% to $122.4 billion by 2025, and diluted earnings expected to rise by 47% to $10.65 per ADR, showcasing its strong performance amid surging AI processor demand.
- Long-Term Competitive Advantage: Research from Morningstar indicates that TSMC's organic growth driven by major tech trends could last for decades, with management confidently forecasting a 30% increase in sales this year, further solidifying its market position.
See More
AI Competition Intensifies as ChatGPT Faces Challenges
- User Growth Comparison: Google's Gemini app has reached 750 million monthly active users, increasing by 100 million from the previous quarter, closely approaching ChatGPT's estimated 800 million users, indicating a significant threat to ChatGPT's market share.
- Revenue Driver: Although Google does not directly attribute revenue to Gemini, its strong growth in cloud and services units suggests that Gemini is a key contributor to the company's overall performance, with annual revenue surpassing $400 billion for the first time in 2025, marking a 15% year-over-year increase.
- Competitive Landscape: OpenAI faces fierce competition from major tech players like Google, as Gemini's rapid rise could erode ChatGPT's market share, forcing OpenAI to increase its infrastructure investments to maintain competitiveness.
- Funding Needs: To address competition and infrastructure commitments, OpenAI is reportedly close to completing a funding round of up to $100 billion, highlighting the financial pressures it faces in sustaining innovation and market expansion.
See More
Amazon and Alphabet's AI Spending Plans for 2026 Shock Investors
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: Alphabet announced a capital expenditure plan of $175 billion to $185 billion for 2026, while Amazon plans to spend about $200 billion, highlighting fierce competition in AI, although this will pressure their cash flows.
- Uncertain Cash Flow Outlook: Amazon's free cash flow is expected to approach zero or turn negative by 2026, while Alphabet may maintain positive cash flow, despite tapping the debt market for $32 billion to fund its data center expansion.
- Growing Backlogs: Alphabet's backlog reached $240 billion, up 55% sequentially, while Amazon's backlog grew to $244 billion, a 22% increase, indicating strong market demand for AI products for both companies.
- Market Reaction: Despite the significant investment potential in cloud computing and AI, the market reacted negatively to both companies' spending plans, leading to stock price declines and presenting long-term investors with an opportunity to buy at a discount.
See More
YouTube Surpasses $60 Billion in Revenue for 2025
- Significant Revenue Growth: YouTube generated over $60 billion in revenue in 2025, which is 33% higher than Netflix's $45 billion, showcasing its strong performance in the streaming market and dominance in ad revenue.
- Leading User Engagement: YouTube captured 12.7% of TV viewing time in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 9%, indicating YouTube's superior user retention and content diversity, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Enhanced Network Effect: As more users and content creators join, YouTube's platform value continues to rise, creating a powerful network effect that makes it more resilient in competition, attracting more advertisers and content creators.
- Technology-Driven Innovation: Alphabet's technological engine continuously optimizes YouTube's algorithms, enhancing user experience and content recommendation efficiency, ensuring the platform maintains its competitive edge in the future, particularly with the application of AI technologies.
See More
YouTube Surpasses Netflix as Video Entertainment Leader
- Significant Revenue Growth: In 2025, Netflix reported $45 billion in revenue, a 16% year-over-year increase, while YouTube exceeded $60 billion, with $40 billion from ads, showcasing YouTube's robust performance in the streaming market.
- User Base Comparison: Netflix has 325 million subscribers across over 190 countries, but YouTube's user-generated content model attracts a larger audience, further solidifying its market position and engagement levels.
- Market Share Competition: According to Nielsen, YouTube holds a 12.7% share of TV viewing time in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 9%, indicating YouTube's growing competitiveness in home entertainment, which could impact Netflix's user growth.
- Technology-Driven Advantage: Alphabet's technological engine continuously refines YouTube's algorithms to enhance user experience, increasing the platform's value as its user base grows, thus providing a more attractive monetization environment for content creators and putting Netflix under greater competitive pressure.
See More
French President Celebrates Successful Rocket Launch of 32 Amazon Leo Satellites
- Successful Rocket Launch: The French president celebrated the successful launch of Europe's most powerful rocket, which deployed 32 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, marking a significant advancement in Europe's space capabilities and enhancing its competitiveness in the global space market.
- Pause on Tech Security Measures: Ahead of the Trump-Xi Jinping meeting, the Trump administration reportedly paused several critical technology security measures targeting China, a decision that could influence the future trajectory of U.S.-China tech relations and reduce market uncertainties.
- Apple Court Victory: Apple secured a courtroom win as a jury rejected claims from Optis Wireless that it infringed on 4G wireless patents, a result that will help protect Apple's intellectual property and strengthen its market position.
- AI Industry Developments: Elon Musk criticized AI startup Anthropic for alleged bias while announcing a $30 billion funding round that pushed its valuation to $380 billion, highlighting the intense competition and rapid evolution within the AI sector.
See More
Three Tech Giants Set to Benefit from AI Surge
- Nvidia's Market Leadership: As a leading designer of AI processors, Nvidia is poised to benefit from the increasing spending on AI data center infrastructure, particularly as Alphabet and Meta ramp up capital expenditures to $185 billion and $135 billion respectively, driving demand for Nvidia's processors.
- Alphabet's Gemini Success: Alphabet's Gemini chatbot now boasts 750 million monthly active users, a 67% increase from nine months ago, and has secured a partnership with Apple to make Gemini the underlying AI model for an upcoming version of Siri, which is expected to generate billions in revenue for Alphabet.
- Taiwan Semiconductor's Market Share: Taiwan Semiconductor holds a 70% share of the global semiconductor manufacturing market, with revenue projected to increase by 30% to $122.4 billion by 2025, and diluted earnings expected to rise by 47% to $10.65 per ADR, showcasing its strong performance amid surging AI processor demand.
- Long-Term Competitive Advantage: Research from Morningstar indicates that TSMC's organic growth driven by major tech trends could last for decades, with management confidently forecasting a 30% increase in sales this year, further solidifying its market position.
See More
