Samsung Electronics has reportedly hiked its prices for manufacturing semiconductors. That could be good news for its competitors, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Samsung increased the price for chips made using its four-nanometer manufacturing process by 10%-15% for customers in China and the U.S. in July from the previous month, according to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter.
Samsung implemented a similar increase for semiconductor wafers manufactured on its five-nanometer process, Reuters reported. Smaller nanometer processes mean more transistors in the same physical footprint, allowing for higher speeds and more efficient power consumption.
Samsung didn't immediately respond to Barron's request for comment. The company earlier declined to comment to Reuters.
The move should come as a relief for Taiwan Semiconductor, or TSMC, giving the dominant chip manufacturer room to raise its own prices without fear of losing market share. The company has been struggling to meet the demands of its customers in recent months.
J.P. Morgan analyst Gokul Hariharan wrote in a recent research note that he expected TSMC to hike prices by 8%-10% in 2027 for more advanced chips, citing the need to maintain its margins as it expands in the U.S. and spends overseas on increased manufacturing capacity.
However, the Samsung price hike could be a welcome opportunity for Intel to market its own chip-manufacturing services at a competitive rate.
Intel is investing heavily in the hope that its current 18A and future 14A processes, designed for manufacturing the most advanced chips, can attract outside customers.
Intel was one of Barron's stock picks for 2026, and is up more than 150% this year through Tuesday's close, although it has dropped 20% in the past three months.
Intel shares were down 3.8% in morning trading, while American depositary receipts of TSMC were down 0.6%.
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