Wedbush Securities issued a note to investors of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing on Tuesday, referencing media reports indicating the global foundry leader may raise prices for chips made using its mature process nodes starting in early 2027. This would mark the first price adjustment for non-advanced nodes in over three years.

Multiple integrated circuit design companies have reportedly received notifications from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing regarding plans to increase prices for the 28-nanometer and above mature manufacturing processes. The specific increase will vary by manufacturer and product line, with finalization expected in the fourth quarter of this year and implementation set for January 2027. Current estimates point to a single-digit percentage hike.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has previously increased prices multiple times for its advanced 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer nodes due to overwhelming demand from artificial intelligence applications, with hikes reaching up to 15%. Wedbush views this latest pricing move as a significant signal: the semiconductor demand surge driven by AI is spreading from areas like GPUs and high-performance computing to power management chips, power devices, and other products using mature nodes. The entire foundry industry may be shifting from a buyer's to a seller's market.

Analysts at Wedbush noted that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's price adjustments for mature processes could support stronger industry-wide pricing trends, reflecting healthier demand for traditional chips. Other foundries such as United Microelectronics Corporation, GlobalFoundries, and Tower Semiconductor may also benefit as a result.

This development is one of the most closely watched market movements ahead of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's earnings conference call scheduled for July 16.