Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller Just Increased Duquesne's Stake in This Monster Artificial Intelligence (AI) Semiconductor Stock (Hint: It's Not Nvidia)

Source Motley_fool

Key Points

  • Druckenmiller made headlines a couple of years ago after admitting that he sold Nvidia stock too early.

  • Since then, he appears to have taken an interest in one of Nvidia's key partners: chip foundry TSMC.

  • While TSMC's growth has been explosive, long-term tailwinds suggest its future remains bright.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ›

Following the end of each quarter, investment firms that manage over $100 million are required to file a form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings document the stocks that investment funds bought and sold during the most recent quarter -- providing investors with an idea of where "smart money" is looking for value and growth.

In recent years, billionaire money manager Stanley Druckenmiller of the Duquesne Family Office came into the spotlight after the investor admitted he exited semiconductor powerhouse Nvidia far too early -- calling his decision a "big mistake."

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

An artificial intelligence (AI) chip powering a GPU cluster.

Image source: Getty Images.

Since then, Druckenmiller has reentered the chip landscape -- this time plowing into a key beneficiary of the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure boom beyond the usual suspects like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, or Broadcom.

Over the past year, Duquesne has built a solid position in foundry specialist Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM). During Q2, Druckenmiller increased his firm's stake in Taiwan Semi by 28% -- bringing its total exposure to roughly 765,000 shares.

Let's unpack what makes TSMC such a compelling AI chip stock, and assess if now is a good opportunity for you to follow Druckenmiller's lead.

Taiwan Semi is rolling on all cylinders, and...

The chart below highlights revenue and gross profit margin trends throughout the AI revolution for TSMC. With an estimated 68% share of the global foundry market, Taiwan Semi is operating on a level far above rivals like Samsung or Intel -- giving the company the ability to exercise substantial pricing power for its services.

TSM Revenue (Quarterly) Chart

TSM Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts

...its momentum isn't slowing down

At first glance, investors might worry that TSMC's steep revenue growth and expanding profit margins are nearing a peak. But the data suggests otherwise.

Enterprise spending on AI infrastructure is accelerating, led by cloud hyperscalers Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft, which are in the midst of a historic capital expenditure (capex) spree to acquire GPUs and networking equipment for next-generation data centers. And it's not just the cloud giants. Meta Platforms, Apple, and Tesla are also investing heavily to advance ambitions in robotics, autonomous driving, and consumer electronics.

AMZN Capital Expenditures (TTM) Chart

AMZN Capital Expenditures (TTM) data by YCharts

Collectively, this spending acts as a proxy for GPU demand. Behind the scenes, this is an enormous tailwind for Taiwan Semi -- the foundry responsible for manufacturing these advanced chipsets for Nvidia, AMD, and many others.

While Nvidia and AMD capture most of the headline news, TSMC may actually offer the most durable growth prospects in the chip realm. In many ways, the company represents a long-term call option for the global buildout of AI infrastructure.

Is TSMC stock a buy?

Valuing TSMC stock is a bit tricky. Like many of peers in the semiconductor landscape, the company has witnessed considerable valuation expansion in recent years. On a simple price-to-earnings (P/E) or forward P/E basis, the stock certainly doesn't look like a bargain.

TSM PE Ratio Chart

TSM PE Ratio data by YCharts

But dig deeper, and a different story emerges. Taiwan Semiconductor trades at a PEG ratio well-below 1 -- suggesting the company may actually be undervalued relative to its future growth potential. That's the kind of setup investors like Druckenmiller might be trying to capitalize on -- a rare opportunity at the intersection of growth and value.

For long-term investors, I see TSMC as a no-brainer chip stock to buy and hold over the next several years. It may not command the spotlight, but it's playing a supporting role in the infrastructure revolution that underpins the AI chip era.

Should you invest $1,000 in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now?

Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $656,895!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,102,148!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of August 25, 2025

Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Intel, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: short August 2025 $24 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Oil Prices Maintain Gains Amid Geopolitical Risks and Fed Rate Cut SpeculationOil prices held largely steady in Asian trading on Monday following notable weekly gains, supported by diminishing expectations of an immediate ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and dovish cues from the U.S.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 08: 26
Oil prices held largely steady in Asian trading on Monday following notable weekly gains, supported by diminishing expectations of an immediate ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and dovish cues from the U.S.
placeholder
Markets Today: Nvidia Earnings, Indian Tariffs, French Political Risk in FocusU.S. stock futures edged higher Wednesday as investors awaited Nvidia’s closely watched earnings, while fresh U.S. tariffs on Indian imports and renewed political turmoil in France weighed on global sentiment.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 08: 01
U.S. stock futures edged higher Wednesday as investors awaited Nvidia’s closely watched earnings, while fresh U.S. tariffs on Indian imports and renewed political turmoil in France weighed on global sentiment.
placeholder
Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin Rebounds Amid Fed Turmoil, Altcoins GainBitcoin edged higher Wednesday to $111,272 after hitting a seven-week low below $109,000, pressured by a major whale trade that liquidated 24,000 tokens. The cryptocurrency has now dropped more than 10% from its August peak above $124,000, as risk sentiment remains muted amid concerns over Federal Reserve independence.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 08: 01
Bitcoin edged higher Wednesday to $111,272 after hitting a seven-week low below $109,000, pressured by a major whale trade that liquidated 24,000 tokens. The cryptocurrency has now dropped more than 10% from its August peak above $124,000, as risk sentiment remains muted amid concerns over Federal Reserve independence.
placeholder
Oil Prices Steady Ahead of U.S. Tariffs Impact on IndiaOil prices remained mostly unchanged on Wednesday following a sharp decline in the previous session, as markets awaited the imposition of hefty U.S. tariffs on India, the world’s third-largest crude importer.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 03: 12
Oil prices remained mostly unchanged on Wednesday following a sharp decline in the previous session, as markets awaited the imposition of hefty U.S. tariffs on India, the world’s third-largest crude importer.
placeholder
Australia's CPI Inflation Surges in July, Dimming Expectations for RBA Rate CutsAustralia's consumer price index (CPI) inflation surged to a one-year peak in July, surpassing market expectations and complicating the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) outlook on further interest rate cuts.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 03: 00
Australia's consumer price index (CPI) inflation surged to a one-year peak in July, surpassing market expectations and complicating the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) outlook on further interest rate cuts.
goTop
quote