zhongsha

TSMC's 2-nanometer N2 mass production marks the transition of advanced semiconductor processes from FinFET to GAA generation. Industry analysts point out that with the simultaneous increase in process complexity, CMP track counts, wafer monitoring frequency, and material specifications, the demand for equipment, CMP consumables, reclaimed wafers, and advanced materials is rising, providing growth opportunities for suppliers like Zhongsha, Shengyang Semiconductor, Xinying Materials, and Songsheng. TSMC's N2 adopts nanosheet GAA technology, which can improve performance by 10% to 15% at the same power consumption compared to N3E, or reduce power consumption by 25% to 30% at the same speed, with chip density increasing by over 15%.In Zhongsha's largest customer Diamond Disk business, advanced processes account for 63%, with N3 and N2 each accounting for 22%, and 1.4 nanometers already shipped in small quantities; after N3 enters N2, the value of CMP content increases by 10% to 15%. Shengyang Semiconductor's monthly production capacity for reclaimed wafers is adjusted to 1.1 to 1.2 million pieces by the end of 2026, with a capital expenditure budget of 4.82 billion yuan for 2026, and it is estimated that the compound annual growth rate for reclaimed wafer expansion from 2025 to 2029 will reach 25% to 30%. Xinying Materials' core products Rinse, BARC, and EBR are expected to see shipments rise seasonally as N2 capacity ramps up, while Songsheng's semiconductor revenue accounted for 66% in the first half of the year, with a year-on-year increase of about 25%, and TSMC-related revenue increased by about 170% year-on-year.

CITIC Securities International published a report indicating that Pop Mart (09992.HK) reported earnings in the first half of the year that were 15---20% below market expectations, mainly due to a 10% decline in sales in the Americas. An unfavorable product mix eroded gross margins, exacerbating margin pressure. The firm has lowered its average earnings expectations for Pop Mart for 2026---2028 by 25%; the target price is set at HKD 121, based on a projected price-to-earnings ratio of 14 times for 2027; it recommends "Sell."The firm also lowered its average sales forecasts for Pop Mart for 2026---2028 by 17%, reflecting further downward adjustments in overseas sales expectations following disappointing performance in the first half of 2026, and has reduced the gross margin expectations for 2026/2027 by 0.2 percentage points/1 percentage point, respectively, to reflect the structural decline in the proportion of overseas business and the pressure from raw material costs.

According to the Industrial and Commercial Times, competition in advanced process technology for PC processors is heating up. Market news indicates that Intel's next-generation Nova Lake desktop processor will prioritize the introduction of bLLC large last-level cache to reduce access latency to system memory, competing with AMD's 3D V-Cache technology; the laptop version may be delayed until the subsequent Razor Lake-HX generation is released. The supply chain reveals that Nova Lake, set to debut early next year, will utilize a combination of Intel's 18A and TSMC's N2P processes, while the subsequent Razor Lake may further adopt TSMC's high-performance 2-nanometer N2X process.N2X is a high-performance extension of TSMC's N2 platform, targeting high-frequency CPUs, AI, and HPC applications, with transistor technology shifting from FinFET to nanosheets. If mass production is achieved, Intel's collaboration with TSMC on advanced processes is expected to extend to a broader 2-nanometer family, helping to reduce risks associated with a single proprietary process and optimize the timing and capacity configuration for high-end CPU launches.In addition to TSMC benefiting directly, related supply chains are also expected to welcome business opportunities. Sungsan is one of the few manufacturers in Taiwan capable of mass-producing its own CMP polishing pads, with a 25% year-on-year increase in consolidated semiconductor revenue in the first half of the year, rising to 66% of total revenue. Demand for Hard Pads and advanced packaging is strong, with a new Soft Pad line expected to begin trial production in the third quarter and gradually ramp up production in the fourth quarter, with products already applied in CoWoS and SoIC. Zhongsha holds CMP diamond discs and recycled wafers, reporting revenue of 2.49 billion yuan in the second quarter, a year-on-year increase of 17.9%, with gross margin rising to 40.1%, and shipments of 2-nanometer and 1.6-nanometer related diamond discs rapidly increasing.

According to Jinshi reports, China Merchants Securities released a research report stating that the AI industry is currently still facing real supply constraints, and there has not yet been a significant overall surplus. Large technology companies are still increasing investments in AI infrastructure, and customer demand for additional supply continues to grow.Microsoft's computing power utilization and SK Hynix's order situation indicate that the current industrial contradictions mainly manifest as insufficient supply of high-performance computing power, advanced storage, and data center support. Short-term investment opportunities can be focused on alleviating computing power bottlenecks.

Zhongshan Securities International published a research report indicating that Google Cloud, a subsidiary of Alphabet, recently secured an AI cloud contract with NATO, which will provide a dedicated secure cloud system to ensure that sensitive data is accessed only domestically. Additionally, AI will be utilized to assist NATO in data analysis and improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, reports suggest that Google is vying for a multi-billion dollar TPU order from Meta. These latest developments demonstrate that Google is committed to seizing market opportunities, and it is believed that its leadership in AI is solid, which may alleviate investors' concerns about competition. The firm continues to believe that tech giants like Google are in a favorable position for sustainable AI development and looks forward to seeing Google expand its business beyond search advertising, or unlock significant unmonetized valuation potential in the cloud, autonomous driving, and AI+SAAS sectors. They reaffirmed their "Buy" rating on Alphabet, raising the target price from $360 to $390. (Jinshi)

ChainCatcher news, according to the Daily Economic News, the listed company Zhongshan Public Utilities (000685.SZ) responded to the question "Have you considered participating in the stablecoin license application?" by stating that there are currently no plans for stablecoin-related business.