On December 22, 2025, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and its U.S.-listed ADR (NYSE: TSM) landed back in the spotlight as a new set of institutional ownership disclosures highlighted fresh buying and position increases, even as other managers continued to trim exposure in recent filings. In Monday trading, TSM was changing hands around the $294 level, underscoring how closely the market is tracking the chipmaking giant’s AI-driven momentum heading into year-end.
While these filings don’t reveal “today’s” trades in real time, they offer a valuable window into how professional money managers were positioning during the most recently reported quarter—especially in a stock that has become a proxy for global demand for advanced chips powering AI infrastructure.
The headline takeaway from Dec. 22: new stakes and a sizeable position boost
MarketBeat’s latest SEC-filing coverage published Monday points to three notable institutional moves—two firms opening new positions and one expanding an existing stake.
1) Capital Insight Partners LLC opens a new TSM position
Capital Insight Partners reported a new stake of 5,894 shares, valued at roughly $1.646 million (as reported in the filing coverage). [1]
2) Abner Herrman & Brock LLC initiates a new stake
Abner Herrman & Brock disclosed a new position of 21,792 shares, valued at about $6.086 million. [2]
3) Exchange Traded Concepts LLC significantly increases its holdings
Exchange Traded Concepts lifted its stake by 36.7%, adding 31,094 shares to reach 115,932 shares, valued around $32.379 million in the referenced filing summary. [3]
Taken together, Monday’s filings tell a consistent story: some managers are still building exposure to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, even after a powerful run that’s made TSMC one of the market’s most watched AI beneficiaries.
The counterpoint: two earlier filings show trimming—not abandoning—TSMC exposure
The buying disclosed on Dec. 22 follows two recent MarketBeat reports (Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 publications) that highlighted reductions by other institutional holders. Importantly, the reductions described were trims, not exits.
Perpetual Ltd: modest reduction
Perpetual reported it trimmed its stake by 3.6%, selling 8,878 shares and ending with 234,571 shares, valued at roughly $65.51 million in the coverage. [4]
Benson Investment Management Company Inc.: sharper cut
Benson Investment Management reported it reduced its position by 19.1%, selling 6,178 shares and retaining 26,233 shares, worth about $7.33 million. The same coverage noted TSM represented roughly 2.5% of the firm’s portfolio and was its ninth-largest holding. [5]
In other words, even among managers cutting exposure, the filings suggest TSMC remained a meaningful position—reflecting the stock’s role as a core semiconductor holding for many diversified portfolios.
Why these SEC filings matter—and what they do not prove
It’s worth clarifying what readers should infer from these headlines:
- They show positioning, not timing. Form 13F-style reporting reflects holdings as of a reporting date and can lag current market reality.
- They can still signal conviction. Opening a new stake or raising a position by double digits (as in Exchange Traded Concepts’ case) typically reflects a deliberate portfolio decision, not “noise.”
- Mixed activity is normal in mega-caps. A company with TSMC’s size, liquidity, and global ownership base will constantly see buys, trims, and rebalances occurring simultaneously.
A more accurate read is that institutional interest remains broad and active, with some managers increasing exposure into AI-driven strength while others manage risk, lock in gains, or rebalance.
Retail participation in Taiwan is rising, even amid volatility
Beyond U.S. filings, local Taiwan market data released this week also points to expanding participation in TSMC—particularly from retail investors using “odd-lot” trading (which allows buying less than the standard board lot).
According to Taiwan Stock Exchange data cited by the Taipei Times (with CNA), TSMC’s shareholder count rose to about 1.88 million—the highest in nearly eight months—even after the share price fell 3.38% week over week to NT$1,430 as some investors took profits amid U.S. tech volatility. The report also said odd-lot holders increased sharply, and the count of investors holding 1,000 to 5,000 shares rose to 376,597, while holders of 1 million shares or more increased to 1,541. [6]
This matters because it suggests that when TSMC dips locally, buyers step in, reinforcing the stock’s centrality to Taiwan’s investor base and to sentiment around the AI supply chain.
Dec. 22 market context: TSMC helps lift Taiwan equities
On Monday, December 22, Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex index closed up 1.64% to 28,149.54, with analysts quoted by Focus Taiwan (CNA) pointing to TSMC as a key driver. Focus Taiwan reported TSMC rose 2.45% to close at NT$1,465, contributing about 280 points to the Taiex’s gain, while foreign institutional investors were net buyers on the day. [7]
For global investors, it’s another reminder of how closely TSMC and “AI trade” sentiment are intertwined—not just on Wall Street, but across Taiwan’s entire market.
The fundamental backdrop: AI demand keeps TSMC’s growth narrative intact
The continued filing activity arrives against a backdrop of strong operating performance and bullish AI-related demand trends.
TSMC’s most recent quarterly report (Q3 2025) showed:
- Revenue of $33.10 billion (USD)
- Diluted EPS of NT$17.44 (with the ADR-equivalent EPS widely reported at roughly $2.92)
- Quarter-over-quarter growth and strong year-over-year gains driven by advanced-node and AI/HPC demand [8]
This is the core reason TSMC remains so investable in 2025: it is not merely “a chip stock,” but the manufacturing backbone behind a large share of the world’s most in-demand processors—especially those tied to AI data centers, high-performance computing, and advanced smartphones.
“Foundry market” momentum: new data points to a record quarter
One of the more notable data points circulating on Dec. 22 is fresh industry research indicating the foundry market’s growth has accelerated with AI.
A report published Monday citing Counterpoint Research said the semiconductor foundry market’s revenue rose 17% year over year to $84.8 billion in Q3 2025, driven by strong AI demand on advanced processes, with TSMC leading the market. [9]
Whether investors focus on TSMC’s own earnings or the broader foundry cycle, the underlying message is similar: AI workloads are pulling forward demand for advanced manufacturing capacity, benefiting the dominant player most.
Japan expansion watch: reports signal a potential shift in TSMC’s Kumamoto strategy
A separate Dec. 22 development gaining traction is the evolving conversation around TSMC’s overseas manufacturing footprint—particularly Japan.
TrendForce reported Monday that, based on regional media reporting, TSMC’s Kumamoto Fab 2 roadmap could be shifting, with speculation that the plant might move beyond earlier plans tied to 6nm/7nm and potentially aim for significantly more advanced nodes. TrendForce framed this as a “reportedly” scenario tied to profitability pressures and changing customer demand, while also noting that TSMC has said it does not comment on market speculation. [10]
This matters for investors because overseas fabs are not just about geopolitics—they’re about where the next wave of advanced capacity will be built, how quickly it ramps, and what it implies for long-term margins and capital spending.
Supply chain signal: TSMC recognizes a key supplier for “Excellent Production Support”
TSMC’s ecosystem also made news on Dec. 22 through supplier recognition—an angle that often flies under the radar but matters deeply in semiconductor manufacturing, where tools, metrology, inspection, and logistics can determine ramp speed and yield.
Onto Innovation announced it received TSMC’s “Excellent Production Support” award, citing contributions tied to delivery support, supply chain execution, and the use of AI and analytics in process control. The award was presented at a ceremony on Nov. 25, 2025, according to the release. [11]
For investors, this kind of update is less about the award itself and more about the signal: TSMC is emphasizing execution and partner performance as it scales advanced nodes and advanced packaging for AI-era demand.
Wall Street’s tone remains upbeat, but volatility is part of the package
Alongside filings and industry updates, investor commentary remains notably bullish. For example, a Nasdaq.com column published Dec. 22 pointed to the stock’s strong 2025 performance and highlighted that some analysts have published aggressive price targets—framing the debate around whether the rally can extend further. [12]
At the same time, the recent Taiwan data (shareholder growth during a price pullback) reinforces a reality for both retail and institutional investors: TSMC can be volatile in the short term, even when the long-term thesis remains intact.
What to watch next
As year-end approaches, several themes are likely to keep TSMC and TSM stock at the center of market attention:
- Ongoing institutional repositioning as funds finalize year-end allocations and prepare for 2026.
- AI infrastructure demand signals—especially anything that affects advanced-node utilization and advanced packaging capacity.
- Overseas expansion clarity (Japan, U.S., and broader global footprint) and how that intersects with profitability and capital intensity.
- Taiwan market sentiment, where TSMC remains the single most influential equity and a barometer for the island’s tech-heavy outlook. [13]
For now, the Dec. 22 news flow paints a clear picture: TSMC continues to attract new money, retain large long-term holders even after trims, and dominate headlines across filings, markets, and the semiconductor supply chain—all while the AI boom keeps demand for leading-edge manufacturing firmly in focus. [14]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.taipeitimes.com, 7. focustaiwan.tw, 8. pr.tsmc.com, 9. seekingalpha.com, 10. www.trendforce.com, 11. www.businesswire.com, 12. www.nasdaq.com, 13. focustaiwan.tw, 14. www.marketbeat.com
