Blue-chip non-fungible token (NFT) collections had steep weekly declines as Ether pulled back from all-time highs. 

Data from decentralized finance aggregator DefiLlama showed that top projects saw their floor prices sink by double digits in the last seven days. Blue-chip NFT collections like Pudgy Penguins, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Doodles were among the hardest hit.

Pudgy Penguins, the top NFT collection by 24-hour and 7-day volume, saw a 17.3% drop to a 10.32 Ether (ETH) floor price. BAYC shed 14.7% to 9.59 ETH, while Doodles recorded one of the sharpest corrections, dropping 18.9% to 0.73 ETH. Other major collections like Moonbirds and Lil Pudgys dropped 10.5% and 14.6%, respectively.

The NFT floor price drop followed a sharp ETH retracement after hitting new all-time highs. On Monday, CoinGecko data showed that ETH reached a new all-time high of $4,946. ETH dropped 12% on Tuesday to $4,342 before recovering slightly. At the time of writing, the crypto asset traded at $4,433.

CryptoPunks remain resilient despite the market crash

While many collections suffered heavy losses, not all NFT projects were in retreat. CryptoPunks, which remained the top NFT collection by market cap, showed relative resilience, dropping only 1.35% over the week. 

Despite the top collections showing floor price declines, trading volumes remained high. Throughout the week, Pudgy Penguins led the market with about 2,112 ETH (about $9.36 million) in trading volume. The collection was followed by Moonbirds, with 1,979 ETH ($8.77 million). 

CryptoPunks followed closely with 1,879 ETH (about $8.33 million) in volume, while BAYC had 809 ETH ($3.59 million). 

Related: 3D-printed housing company adopts Bitcoin, NFTs in blockchain pivot

NFT market capitalization drops to $7.7 billion

While blue-chip NFTs suffered double-digit declines, the broader NFT space also dropped almost 5% to $7.7 billion, according to data aggregator NFT Price Floor. 

On Aug. 13, NFT Price Floor showed that the overall NFT market capitalization peaked at $9.3 billion, up 40% from July’s $6.6 billion. The surge was fueled by an increase in NFT activity following an ETH surge. 

On Aug. 18, the NFT market cap dropped further to $8.1 billion, wiping out $1.2 billion from digital collectible valuations. 

Magazine: Ethereum’s roadmap to 10,000 TPS using ZK tech: Dummies’ guide

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/blue-chip-nfts-sink-double-digits-as-eth-retreats-from-record-highs/feed/ 0 55187 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/prediction-taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-stock-is-the-safest-ai-chip-bet/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/prediction-taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-stock-is-the-safest-ai-chip-bet/#respond Sun, 13 Jul 2025 21:38:14 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/prediction-taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-stock-is-the-safest-ai-chip-bet/

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 0.24%) may not design artificial intelligence (AI) chips, but it’s a company that every AI chipmaker relies on. The AI giants rely on TSMC to manufacture their number-crunching chip designs. That’s why TSMC is the safest long-term play in the AI infrastructure space.

Let’s look at what makes the company so special.

The foundry leader

TSMC is the world’s most advanced semiconductor foundry, and it counts the world’s leading chip designers among its top customers, including Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, and Apple. It has the scale and technological leadership that rivals can’t match. Intel has been burning cash trying to establish its foundry business, while Samsung’s yield issues continue to be an issue. That has given TSMC a huge market share lead in the advanced node market, and it’s not particularly close.

Nodes refer to the size of the transistors used on a chip, measured in nanometers. The smaller the node, the more transistors can be packed onto the chip, which boosts performance and power efficiency. Smaller nodes are becoming a bigger part of TSMC’s mix. Chips made on 7nm and smaller nodes made up 73% of its revenue in the first quarter, up from 65% a year ago. Its 3nm node accounted for 22% of revenue, and Apple has booked much of its 2nm supply for future products. Even Intel has been using TSMC’s 3nm tech for some of its most advanced chips. That says a lot.

TSMC’s clear leadership in the space has also given the company strong pricing power. Between increasing demand and higher prices, this is driving both strong revenue growth and improved gross margins. Last quarter, its revenue jumped 35% to $25.5 billion, led by growth in high-performance computing (HPC). That continued in Q2, with the company reporting preliminary revenue growth of 39% to $31.9 billion, as estimated by Reuters.

Margins remain strong despite new fabs ramping. Gross margin rose 190 basis points to 58.8% in Q1 despite its Arizona and Japan fabs still ramping up and weighing on profitability. TSMC expects these newer facilities to dilute margins by 2 to 3 percentage points this year, but the company is already raising prices to offset the pressure. According to reports, TSMC will increase AI chip prices this year, with Arizona-made chips potentially commanding a 30% premium.

TSMC’s business risks

TSMC is not entirely without risks. Geopolitical tensions around Taiwan will always be part of the story, and it’s not immune to tariffs and policy shifts in the U.S. However, TSMC is already addressing both by expanding its footprint globally. The company has been building new fabs in the U.S., Japan, and Europe in partnership with its largest customers.

However, what makes TSMC the safest AI semiconductor stock is its position in the semiconductor value chain. It ultimately doesn’t matter which company wins the AI chip race. TSMC’s success is tied to overall AI chip demand, not any one company’s products.

AI chip demand isn’t slowing down, either. TSMC previously projected AI-related revenue to grow at a mid-40% compounded average growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years, starting in 2024. It’s also working closely with customers to time its capacity expansion accordingly. With its top customers booking future supply, it has solid visibility into future growth.

Meanwhile, it could see a tailwind beyond AI with autonomous driving. Robotaxis are beginning to take off and gain traction, and all of those vehicles will need to be fitted with advanced chips. It’s still early, but if robotaxis and autonomous driving become commonplace, TSMC will be a big beneficiary.

A semiconductor wafer being manufactured.

Time to buy the stock

In the AI chip battle, TSMC is essentially the AI arms dealer. It doesn’t need to bet on who will dominate the chip market, because it sells manufacturing services to all of them. For investors who want exposure to AI semiconductors without betting on a single chipmaker, TSMC is the safest way to play it.

The stock is also attractively valued, trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24 times based on analysts’ 2025 estimates and a price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG) of less than 0.7. Stocks with PEG ratios below 1 are typically considered undervalued.

Taken all together, TSMC is one of the best and safest stocks to buy in the semiconductor space right now.

Investing in the stock market is one way to build enduring, long-term wealth. As an investor, you could choose to invest in high-flying growth stocks, dividend stocks that provide passive income, or more conservative investments that can preserve and grow your investments steadily over time.

One strategy you can consider is investing in blue chip companies. These companies have withstood the test of time thanks to sound business models that have led to solid returns for patient investors.

Blue chips typically offer reliable dividends and steady long-term growth, making them appealing to both seasoned investors and newcomers seeking to establish a solid financial foundation. Here are four blue chip stocks you can invest in today.

Image source: Getty Images.

Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A -0.62%) (BRK.B -0.52%) has thrived under the leadership of its longtime CEO, Warren Buffett. Since 1965, Buffett has led the conglomerate to 20% annualized returns, or enough to turn a $100 investment into $5.5 million today.

So when Buffett announced earlier this year he was stepping down at the end of 2025, it took the wind out of the sails of Berkshire Hathaway stock, which is down 12% since the announcement in early May.

However, Berkshire Hathaway is a widely diversified conglomerate with holdings across numerous industries, including insurance, transportation, materials, consumer goods, and energy. Its insurance operations help generate a steady stream of cash flow, which it can invest in treasuries or equities, or use to acquire companies outright.

What makes Berkshire appealing right now is its massive cash pile and positive tailwinds from higher interest rates. The Federal Reserve is cautious about cutting interest rates due to concerns about inflation stemming from higher tariffs. This has resulted in rates staying “higher for longer,” and Berkshire has benefited to the tune of $2.9 billion in interest income in the first quarter.

Berkshire will be under new leadership, led by CEO Greg Abel, with its investment portfolio managed by Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, the investing lieutenants tapped by Buffett and the late Charlie Munger over a decade ago. While the uncertainty around its future remains, I think it’s well-capitalized and diversified enough that it’s a buy at today’s price.

Progressive

Progressive (PGR -1.86%) is the second-largest automotive insurer in the United States. What sets this blue chip company apart is its disciplined underwriting, strong brand, and direct-to-consumer model.

The company relies heavily on technology and data to accurately price risk and was one of the original companies to adopt usage-based insurance, known as telematics. This approach utilizes driver data to price policies, which is one reason the company has outperformed its competitors.

Progressive’s track record of navigating underwriting cycles while maintaining profitability distinguishes it. Going back 23 years, the company’s combined ratio has averaged 92%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 100%. Put differently, Progressive has earned an average of $8 in underwriting profit for every $100 in premiums.

As a stock, Progressive offers defensive characteristics with upside. Insurance is a stable industry that enjoys steady demand, and Progressive has demonstrated its ability to outperform its peers in underwriting profitability.

The company is also well-positioned to perform if inflation and interest rates were to remain elevated. That’s because it has pricing power, allowing it to adapt to rising costs, and it also earns interest on float (the cash it collects from premiums but hasn’t yet paid out in claims).

Its stellar long-term performance and ongoing strong underwriting make Progressive an excellent blue chip stock to consider adding to your portfolio today.

Chubb

Chubb (CB -0.89%) is one of the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurers, recognized for its underwriting discipline, global diversification, and robust balance sheet. It operates across commercial and personal lines, with a reputation for serving high-net-worth individuals and complex corporate risks. Its conservative approach to risk, coupled with a broad international footprint, has enabled it to weather economic cycles well.

Chubb has been a solid dividend stock for investors, growing its payout for 32 consecutive years. With a yield of 1.4% and an average annual total return of 11.7% over the past two decades, the company offers investors a balanced combination of income and stock price appreciation. It also enjoys the benefits that Progressive does, such as pricing power and interest income, making it another solid blue chip stock to consider owning today.

S&P Global

S&P Global (SPGI -0.52%) plays a key role in markets. The company is perhaps best known for its S&P 500 index, but it also provides credit ratings, data, and analytics. Barriers to entry make it difficult to break into the credit ratings space, and S&P Global holds a 50% share of this market.

S&P Global’s business model is resilient and scalable. Credit rating demand rises with bond issuance, while its index and data segments enjoy recurring fees from ETF licensing and subscriptions. The company also has low capital requirements, which enables it to enjoy high margins, recurring revenue, and a global reach.

The company has raised its dividend payout for 53 years, making it an exclusive member of the Dividend Kings club. While it offers a modest dividend yield of 0.7%, when combined with its stock price appreciation, S&P Global has returned 15.3% annually over the past two decades. For investors, S&P Global offers growth and a wide moat along with steady cash flows, making it a quality blue chip stock to own today.

As CEO and chief investment officer of Ark Invest, Cathie Wood might be best known for her high conviction in speculative opportunities across industries such as genomics and cryptocurrency.

When it comes artificial intelligence (AI), many of Ark’s biggest positions are in volatile stocks such as Tesla and Palantir Technologies. Over the last couple of months, however, Wood has quietly been rounding out her exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with semiconductor stocks.

Let’s explore two AI chip stocks that have recently become rising stars in the Ark portfolio. Is now the time to follow Wood’s moves? Read on to find out.

1. Advanced Micro Devices

While Advanced Micro Devices (AMD -0.45%) has been part of Ark’s portfolio for quite some time, the investment firm began aggressively adding to its position throughout late April and most of May.

According to public trading data, Ark added approximately 800,000 shares of AMD between June 17 and 30. The position is spread across the Ark Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF, Ark Next Generation Internet ETF, Ark Fintech Innovation ETF, and Ark Innovation ETF. As of this writing, AMD has now become the 11th biggest position for Ark Invest overall.

In fairness, AMD’s rise at Ark has been influenced by some pronounced share price gains in recent weeks too. Since Ark began adding to its AMD position in late April, shares have gained roughly 61%.

In my eyes, AMD’s recent gains can be tied to the company’s accelerating data center business as well as bullish anticipation for its new AI accelerators during the second half of this year.

Data by YCharts.

Nevertheless, even with such a massive move in the share price, AMD trades for roughly 36 times forward earnings. Although this isn’t exactly cheap, shares of AMD are well within their usual valuation range.

My hunch is that AMD is still being discounted by some investors, primarily due to the enormous competitive threat the company faces from Nvidia.

Considering how much momentum is fueling AMD stock right now, I think I’d sit on the sidelines for the time being. To me, the company’s long-term prospects are somewhat ambiguous so long as Nvidia remains king of the chip industry. While there is likely still good money to be made in AMD stock, there are more reasonable price points to build a position.

Image source: Getty Images.

2. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Ark complemented its AMD purchases with some exposure to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 0.75%) back in May. The firm doubled down on this decision by adding over 190,000 shares of TSMC throughout June.

I see TSMC as the most interesting opportunity within the broader chip landscape. Unlike Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, or the cloud hyperscalers, TSMC doesn’t specialize in designing its own chipsets. Rather, the company offers industry-leading fabrication services that bring semiconductor designs to life.

This puts TSMC in a unique position as the company stands to benefit from rising spend in AI infrastructure over the coming years, regardless of which specific chipsets are witnessing the most demand.

Looked at another way, investors in TSMC need not overanalyze which chip company will sell the most graphics processing units (GPUs). Rather, an investment in TSMC could be viewed similarly to a call option on ongoing investment in data center infrastructure and AI chips for the long term.

Data by YCharts.

While TSMC has witnessed some notable valuation expansion throughout the AI revolution, the company’s forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 25 is still reasonable. Unlike AMD, I do not think rising competition is what concerns investors over a position in TSMC, though.

Rather, it’s geopolitical tensions with China that give way to uncertainty over TSMC’s growth prospects. Given the company’s ongoing investments in geographic expansion, though, I think the concerns over China are exaggerated and likely baked into the stock at this point.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, TSMC might be the best bargain in the AI market right now. Compelling secular tailwinds, combined with an industry-leading position in the fabrication market, strong institutional backing, and a reasonable valuation, make TSMC a no-brainer for long-term investors.

Nvidia (NVDA -2.20%) continues to dominate the lion’s share of the chips going into data centers for artificial intelligence (AI). The company just reported another monster quarter of growth, and the stock is closing in on new all-time highs.

There’s still a case for buying Nvidia stock, but investors shouldn’t put all their chips in one basket (no pun intended). Nvidia is not capturing all the demand for AI semiconductors. Hyperscalers like Alphabet‘s Google and Amazon are designing custom chips for specific AI workloads in their cloud services, and this is creating tremendous growth for other leading semiconductor companies.

Shares of Broadcom (AVGO -2.88%) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM -2.04%) recently were up 73% and 29%, respectively — both outperforming Nvidia’s 18% return over the last year. These chip stocks can broaden your exposure to the growing demand for AI chips across the data center market.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Broadcom

Broadcom is a top supplier of custom AI accelerators (XPUs) and networking solutions for data centers and other markets. Its networking business supplies components that help move data at high speeds, which is vital as hyperscalers shift to more advanced AI workloads.

Broadcom has reported five consecutive quarters of 20% or more revenue growth. Specifically, AI-related revenue jumped 46% year over year in the most recent quarter. Broadcom is turning this growth into strong profits, with free cash flow reaching $6.4 billion last quarter, representing a high 43% margin on revenue.

AI networking revenue, including Broadcom’s Ethernet networking products, grew 170% year over year, representing nearly half of its total revenue from AI. This incredible growth in networking signals a massive ramp in computing power to create the next wave of AI applications and services.

Broadcom is also supplying XPUs, which are more cost-efficient for specific workloads than Nvidia’s general-purpose chips. Broadcom sees at least three customers deploying 1 million custom AI-accelerated clusters by 2027, and it reported on the last earnings call that these large hyperscalers are “unwavering” in their plans to continue investing in the near term.

The long-term outlook for custom chip demand should support shareholder returns over the next several years. In fact, management expects custom XPU demand to accelerate through 2026. The stock isn’t cheap, trading at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 38, but the opportunity could justify the premium.

Image source: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

2. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (also known as TSMC) plays a vital role in the global supply chain for the chip industry. It’s the largest chip foundry, with more than 65% market share, according to Counterpoint. It makes chips for several companies, including Nvidia, Broadcom, Advanced Micro Devices, and Apple, as well as hyperscalers.

The stock is surging to new highs following a monster quarter, during which revenue in U.S. dollars grew 35% year over year. This strong growth was despite weak smartphone revenue in the quarter, representing over a quarter of the company’s revenue, due to seasonal demand trends.

TSMC has spent decades investing in cutting-edge chip-making technology to meet customer needs for the world’s most advanced chips. Its competitive advantage is based on superior manufacturing capabilities and massive chip-making capacity, enabling it to make more than 16 million 12-inch equivalent wafers annually. These advantages enabled TSMC to earn a sky-high profit margin of 41% on a trailing-12-month basis.

TSMC is planning to double its chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) capacity in 2025, indicating growing support for the demand that Nvidia and other customers are experiencing. TSMC recently announced a substantial investment of $165 billion to launch new manufacturing facilities in the U.S., in addition to expansion plans in other geographies.

AI accelerator revenue tripled in 2024, and management expects it to double in 2025. Through 2029, the company expects demand for AI chips to grow at an annualized rate topping 40%.

Taiwan Semiconductor shares may be the best value among chip stocks right now. The stock trades at just 23 times 2025 earnings estimates, despite analysts expecting 21% annualized earnings growth. While earnings multiples above 20 are historically expensive for chip stocks, these companies are experiencing a once-in-a-generation growth spurt that will likely deliver excellent returns to investors through the end of the decade.

What you need to know

• Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra reportedly raced through Geekbench’s performance test with MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 Plus SoC.
• Despite the stronger chip, the tablet supposedly score “lower” than phones; however, it features 12GB RAM and Android 16 (One UI 8).
• Previous Tab S11 series leaks claim Samsung will return the base model and drop the Plus, while also giving the Ultra a slightly bigger battery.

Amid all the Samsung leaks as of late, a recent one claims that the company’s upcoming Ultra tablet has appeared in a benchmark database.

Spotted by the folks at Gizmochina, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has reportedly run through Geekbench for its performance test checks and balances. This appearance was likely for its rumored chip, which the leak claims is MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 Plus SoC. Strangely, the publication reports the tablet scored “lower than smartphones” with MediaTek’s flagship chip.

The Geekbench listing reportedly states the S11 Ultra achieved a score of 5,312 in its multi-core test and 1,420 in the single-core run.

There were some smaller specs posted in the listing, like the existence of Android 16 and 12GB of RAM. Still no word on its internal storage; however, there’s a chance Samsung could pop 256GB in it to match that 12GB of RAM, like the Tab S10 Ultra.

An Ultra Look

The latest Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra leaks bring new information forward while also switching up the narrative on a key specification: its SoC of choice. In a previous leak, the tablet was rumored to receive MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 SoC from late last year. This chip was the company’s flagship response to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, what this alleged Geekbench listing purports is the brand’s updated (and upgraded) variant.

The Dimensity 9400 Plus offers a Big Core design with one Arm Cortex-X925 core at 3.73GHz. The company was adamant during its launch that this chip could “propel” users’ experience with Android UX. What’s more, the chip is paired with the 12-core Arm Immortalis-G925 GPU for “PC-like” graphical features on Android phones.

The SoC launched in April, and it seems Samsung could opt for this leveled-up version of MediaTek’s flagship prowess.

Other Galaxy Tab S11 series rumors claim Samsung will drop the Plus model in 2025, bringing back its base model, which was absent last year. While the base model could see a familiar 8,160mAh battery, the Ultra model might jump 500mAh to ~11,374mAh.

Speculation claims Samsung might hold onto its next flagship tablet series until after its summer Unpacked. This means we might not see them until the fall at the latest.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming foldables, check out our Ultimate Guide.