01. NAND Flash Q2 Revenue Jumps 77%
On August 19, TrendForce data showed that the world's top five NAND Flash suppliers posted combined Q2 revenue of $68.87 billion, surging 77% quarter-over-quarter, fueled by booming demand for enterprise SSDs in AI servers and a sharp rise in average selling prices. Samsung topped the rankings with $23.06 billion, SK Hynix (including Solidigm) jumped 89.5% quarter-over-quarter, and Micron nearly doubled its revenue. While smartphone and PC demand is expected to remain sluggish in Q3, enterprise SSDs for AI servers are projected to stay robust. With limited new capacity additions, the pricing uptrend looks set to continue.
02. Japanese Chip Exports Surge, July Total Hits Record High
On August 20, Japan's Ministry of Finance data showed that July exports of semiconductors and electronic components surged 49.1% year-over-year, while semiconductor manufacturing equipment exports jumped 40.9%, driving total exports to ¥11.51 trillion, up 23.2% year-over-year and a record for a single month. Exports to China climbed 25.8%, marking the fifth straight month of positive growth, with semiconductor products serving as a major driver. Semiconductor imports also soared 79.7% during the same period, reflecting strong two-way demand in Japan's chip trade.
03. ADI to Launch Fresh Price Adjustments in September on Dual Demand-Cost Pressure
On August 18, Analog Devices notified customers that it will implement a new round of price adjustments across its entire product portfolio starting September 13, with specific increases varying by product and customer. The move is driven by strengthening demand, tightening supply, and persistent inflationary and manufacturing cost pressures. Lead times for some products had already stretched to six months as of July.
ADI's revenue hit a record $3.62 billion last quarter, up 37% year-over-year, with industrial, automotive, and communications B2B orders all reaching record highs. The company is expanding both internal and external capacity to support shipments.
04. DRAM Capacity Expansion Accelerates as Nanya Tech Launches Fab 5A
On August 6, multiple Taiwanese media outlets reported that Nanya Technology has raised its 2026 capital expenditure to NT$69.7 billion (from NT$52 billion) and plans to invest up to NT$346.6 billion between 2026 and 2029 to build its new Fab 5A — the largest investment in company history. The new fab will adopt EUV lithography and focus on 10nm-class DRAM, with wafer starts expected in the second half of 2027 and monthly capacity reaching 35,900 wafers by 2029. The expansion is driven by AI server demand, though with global suppliers simultaneously adding capacity, new output after 2027 could intensify supply-demand jockeying.
05. Acer's Non-PC Business Bolsters Operations; Chairman Bets on AI, Smart Home
On August 18, Acer reported at its investor conference that Q2 net profit after tax reached NT$2.172 billion, up 209% quarter-over-quarter and 100% year-over-year, hitting a post-pandemic single-quarter high with EPS of NT$0.72. Chairman Jason Chen said future growth momentum will be driven by AI, smart home appliances, and other non-PC and display businesses. While new ventures such as Altos account for roughly 35% of revenue, their profit contribution is estimated at 60–70%. On the PC front, DRAM and SSD price hikes have dampened demand, with second-half shipments expected to drop 20%; however, higher average selling prices should keep revenue flat with the first half.
06. ASUS Builds Secret AI LAB in Taoyuan to Accelerate Server Push
On August 21, ASUS established a secret AI LAB facility in Luzhu, Taoyuan, staffing it with a dozens-strong R&D and testing team. Leveraging full-rack testing environments and automated deployment tools, the facility has slashed validation time from several hours to 30 minutes, significantly boosting product verification efficiency and accelerating customer compute deployment. With this boost, ASUS has raised its AI server revenue growth target for this year from 100% to 150%.