Foreign media pointed out that you can buy TSMC and two other stocks with $5,000. (File photo)
[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] As AI continues to expand, everything from cloud computing, chip manufacturing to data center construction has become an important link in the rapid development of the AI industry. Foreign media analysis pointed out that AI infrastructure is not a single investment theme, but consists of multiple different levels. If you have US$5,000 (approximately NT$158,000) to invest, you can consider diversifying your allocation among three companies: Amazon (Amazon), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and Applied Digital (APLD). The largest portion of funds should be placed in Amazon, which is relatively stable.
An analysis by investment media "The Motley Fool" pointed out that Amazon is the most stable core. The second quarter revenue of its cloud service AWS increased by 37% year-on-year to US$42.2 billion, and operating profit reached US$16.6 billion, an annual increase of approximately 64%. Although the company continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, it also has retail and advertising business support in addition to AWS, so the overall business is relatively diversified. The current stock price is about 24 times next year's estimated profits.
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TSMC is an important manufacturer in the AI chip supply chain. No matter which chip design company wins in the end, it may require TSMC's advanced processes. TSMC's second-quarter revenue increased by 36% year-on-year, with annual increases of 45% and 53% in July and August respectively. Revenue in the first eight months of this year also increased by 39% compared with the same period last year, and gross profit margin in the second quarter reached 67.7%. The current price-to-earnings ratio is about 20 times, but we still need to pay attention to the slowdown in AI capital expenditures and geopolitical risks.
As for Applied Digital, it is a high-risk allocation. The company mainly builds AI data centers and leases them to large enterprises. It has signed 15-year leases of about 1.4GW worth about US$36 billion, but the actual operating capacity is only 175MW. Revenue in fiscal 2026 increased 167% year-on-year to US$611.3 million, but it still lost US$249.2 million, so construction progress will be key.
The analysis suggests that if you have US$5,000 to allocate, you can invest US$2,500 in Amazon, US$1,750 in TSMC, and US$750 in Applied Digital. This ratio is to put the most funds in the relatively stable Amazon, then allocate the faster-growing TSMC, and finally bet a small proportion on the high-risk Applied Digital.
However, these three companies still share the same important risk, which is AI infrastructure spending. Once the AI investment boom begins to cool down, all three companies may be affected, but to varying degrees. Amazon will be relatively less affected, and Applied Digital may be the most obvious.
Analysts believe that instead of betting on a single AI company, it is better to simultaneously deploy three different links: cloud, chip manufacturing and data center, and participate in the opportunities brought by the continued expansion of AI infrastructure through asset allocation with different levels of risk.
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