Semiconductors & AI Chips Weekly Briefing

May 15, 2026

Nvidia’s valuation hit historic peaks as the industry navigated U.S.-China trade shifts, TSMC expanded global capacity, and more.

• Nvidia's market capitalization reached a record $5.5 trillion, briefly touching $6 trillion, as the company intensified its AI supply chain investments to over $45 billion for 2026. ^1234567
• CEO Jensen Huang joined President Trump's delegation to China amid discussions on trade and H200 chip export approvals, though reports were conflicted regarding his attendance at specific Beijing summit meetings. ^{8910111213141516}
• TSMC approved a massive $31.3 billion capital budget for capacity expansion, including a $20 billion injection into its Arizona unit, while reporting strong Q2 revenue forecasts driven by AI demand. ^{1718192021222324}
• AMD is reportedly nearing a deal with Samsung for 2nm chip production to diversify its supply chain, even as it launched new Ryzen PRO 9000 workstation chips and Instinct MI350P AI accelerators. ^{2526272829303132}
• The Dutch government and ASML expressed concerns over proposed U.S. export law changes that could further restrict chipmaking equipment sales to China, despite ASML raising its 2026 sales outlook. ³³³⁴³⁵
• Intel shares surged following reports of a potential foundry agreement with Apple, while Samsung faced internal challenges as labor negotiations collapsed over performance bonus disputes. ^3637383940
• Other developments include Nvidia appointing former Goldman Sachs executive Suzanne Nora Johnson to its board, Applied Materials reporting record Q2 revenue of $7.91 billion, and a confirmed data breach at Nvidia's GeForce NOW service. ^4142434445

Sources

1. Analysis: Nvidia ramped up AI investments to US$45.3 billion in 2026, reshaping AI supply chain DIGITIMES
2. Nvidia gains 20% in seven days, nearing $6 trillion market value Moneycontrol
3. Nvidia Rally Propels Stocks to New Records The Wall Street Journal
4. Nvidia becomes first company to briefly top $5.5 trillion market cap MarketWatch
5. Nvidia, AI factories and the transition to accelerated computing - SiliconANGLE SiliconANGLE
6. Nvidia embraces its role as an AI investor in 2026, committing $40B+ to equity investments including a $30B stake in OpenAI, $3.2B in Corning, and $2.1B in IREN Techmeme
7. Nvidia Expands AI Investment Push Yahoo Finance
8. Nvidia's Future in China Remains Unclear After Trump-Xi Summit The New York Times
9. Nvidia Gains on China H200 Sales Approval Yahoo Finance
10. As Jensen Huang Joins Trump's China Summit, Bombshell Report Claims Nvidia's China Revenue Never Went To Zero Yahoo Finance
11. Exclusive: US clears H200 chip sales to 10 China firms as Nvidia CEO looks for breakthrough Reuters
12. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins Trump on his China visit The American Bazaar
13. Nvidia s Jensen Huang on China trip: ‘President Trump asked me to come’ CNBC
14. US-China trade: Nvidia chips, auto market, IP theft underscore complex relationship Fox News
15. Nvidia C.E.O. Jensen Huang Hitches Ride With Trump to China After Last-Minute Invite The New York Times
16. Nvidia CEO Huang not going to China during Trump visit, source says Reuters
17. TSM: TSMC's Q2 Revenue Forecast Boosted by Strong Demand GuruFocus
18. Taiwan: TSMC unveils advanced packaging breakthroughs and 2nm roadmap at Symposium The Tribune
19. TSMC expects global chip revenue to hit US$1.5tn Taipei Times
20. Taiwan says chipmaker's move to invest $100 billion in the US wasn't because of U.S. pressure Asahi Shimbun
21. TSMC Approves Up to US$20 Billion Capital Injection for Arizona Unit The Globe and Mail
22. TSMC Board Greenlights Q1 Dividend and Massive US$31 Billion Capacity Expansion The Globe and Mail
23. TSMC Board approves US$31.3 billion capital budget TSMC
24. TSMC's Arizona project proceeds well but faces water, labor challenges Focus Taiwan
25. AMD Samsung 2nm Talks Highlight Supply Chain Flexibility And AI Ambitions Yahoo Finance
26. AMD brings Zen 5 and 3D V-Cache to Ryzen Pro 9000 series workstation chips Digital Trends
27. AMD launches Instinct MI350P PCIe GPUs to bring enterprise AI into existing data centers Manila Bulletin
28. AMD expands its Ryzen 9000 PRO lineup with six new SKUs, now featuring 3D V-Cache for the first time — new workstation CPUs have up to 170W TDPs, available with OEMs later this year Yahoo Tech
29. AMD expands Ryzen PRO 9000 series processor lineup AMD
30. AMD MI450 AI Deals With Meta And OpenAI Test Rich Valuation Yahoo Finance
31. AMD's 2nm defection to Samsung dents TSMC's AI grip DIGITIMES
32. AMD's 2nm defection to Samsung dents TSMC's AI grip DIGITIMES
33. Dutch government objects to proposed US law restricting ASML's China exports Reuters
34. ASML Lifts 2026 Sales Outlook As AI Demand And EU Policy Focus Grow Yahoo Finance
35. The US desperately needs ASML in the thrilling AI race with China - and is working on an intervention that could turn out badly for everyone NRC
36. Apple Intel Foundry Talks Put ASML At Center Of Chip Shift Yahoo Finance
37. Samsung, Union Talks Collapse After Marathon Negotiations Businesskorea
38. TSMC to remain top Apple chipmaker despite reported Intel deal: Experts Taipei Times
39. Pay dispute backs Samsung into a tight corner Reuters
40. Intel shares soar on Apple chip deal report. Here s why it signals a total pivot for chipmaking CNBC
41. Applied Materials announced record Q2 2026 results Applied Materials
42. Nvidia GeForce NOW data breach confirmed — but luckily most of us will be safe TechRadar
43. This Week In AI Chips - NVIDIA Strengthens Board with Strategic Leadership Addition Yahoo Finance
44. Nvidia Names Goldman Sachs Veteran Suzanne Nora Johnson to Board Bloomberg
45. NVIDIA names Suzanne Nora Johnson to board Nvidia