Silicon AnalyticaGlobal semiconductor sales reached $517.7 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 24.1% from the second quarter, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA, 3 November 2026). Behind that number sits a chain that the quarter's results make visible: cloud companies spend, equipment makers ship, foundries fill fabs and memory makers price.
At the top of the chain, a tally by Business Insider, republished by Hargreaves Lansdown on 29 October 2026 (third-party), puts third-quarter capital spending by five companies — Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and SpaceX — at about $227 billion, and $556.2 billion so far in 2026. Based on company guidance, the tally implies $803–828 billion for the full year. It cites Amazon's third-quarter cash capex of $75.9 billion and about $220 billion for 2026, and Microsoft's calendar-2026 outlook of about $170 billion, lowered because of delays in third-party data-centre capacity. Alphabet's CFO expects capex to "increase significantly" in 2027 and Amazon's CEO expects to spend "meaningfully more". These figures were not checked against each company's own release, and guidance is not booked spending.
Equipment, foundry, memory
ASML reported record net sales of €11.662 billion (~US$13.1 billion) and income from operations of €5.1728 billion (~US$5.8 billion), an operating margin of 44.4% as stated in its US GAAP statements (14 October 2026). TSMC's operating margin was 58.7% on revenue of NT$1,494.24 billion (~US$46.8 billion) (15 October 2026). SK hynix's preliminary operating profit of KRW 83.3338 trillion (~US$62.1 billion) on revenue of KRW 104.6155 trillion (~US$78 billion) gives a margin of 79.7% (Silicon Analytica calculation, 28 October 2026).
| Company | Revenue | Operating profit | Margin | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC | NT$1,494.24B | NT$876.45B | 58.7% (Reported) | TSMC 3Q26 release and management report, 15 Oct 2026 |
| ASML | €11,662.0M | €5,172.8M | 44.4% (Reported) | ASML Form 6-K statements, 14 Oct 2026 |
| SK hynix | KRW 104.6155T | KRW 83.3338T | 79.7% (Calculated by Silicon Analytica) | SK hynix release, 28 Oct 2026 (preliminary) |
Income from operations ÷ revenue, in each company's reporting currency
- SK hynix: Calculated by Silicon Analytica
- TSMC: Reported
- ASML: Reported
Reading the chain
Silicon Analytica reading (interpretation): demand flows downstream from cloud capex to equipment (ASML), to foundry (TSMC) and to memory (SK hynix). The same caution as in the SIA figures applies: much of the revenue growth, especially in memory, reflects higher prices rather than more chips. Margins are compared across different currencies and accounting standards (Taiwan-IFRS, US GAAP, K-IFRS) and are indicative only.
AW
Show / hide sources
Primary sources
- SIA · Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 24.1% from Q2 2026 to Q3 2026 ↗ · 3 November 2026
press release
- Hargreaves Lansdown (Business Insider) · AI hyperscalers are expected to finish the year spending a whopping $828 billion on capex ↗ · 29 October 2026
tally of company reports
Third-party; not checked against each company's release
- TSMC · 3Q26 Earnings Release ↗ · 15 October 2026
page 1
- ASML · Q3 2026 US GAAP financial statements (Form 6-K) ↗ · 14 October 2026
consolidated statements of operations
- SK hynix · Q3 2026 business results ↗ · 28 October 2026
preliminary earnings release
Data, definitions & methodology
Research cut-off: 5 Nov 2026. Publication date is separate from the research cut-off.
Hyperscaler capex figures are third-party (Business Insider tally republished by Hargreaves Lansdown) and include SpaceX as the fifth company.
Capex totals cover all capital spending, not only AI; full-year figures are guidance-based.
Amounts are in the currency published (US$, NT$, €, KRW); no conversion. Margins are local-currency ratios.
| Category | Value | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SK hynix | 79.7% | Q3 2026 | Calculated by Silicon Analytica |
| TSMC | 58.7% | Q3 2026 | Reported |
| ASML | 44.4% | Q3 2026 | Reported |
For information and educational purposes only. This research is not personalized investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell a security.