A practicing semiconductor engineer's daily read on global silicon news:
SIA reported 1Q26 global semiconductor revenue of $298.5B on May 4 US time, up +25% QoQ for an all-time quarterly high; the same day KOSPI closed +5.12% at 6936.99 with SK Hynix +12.52% pushing market cap past KRW 1,031T to become the second member of Korea's 'quadrillion-won club' after Samsung.
Chase's Take — As an STA engineer, the interesting variable inside SIA's $298.5B isn't the absolute number — it's the memory share inside it. Revenue is now decided by 'what price you got' more than 'how much you built.' In that environment, Hanmi Semi and Hanwha Semitech betting on hybrid bonders — a 4,415-pyeong Incheon fab shipping at end-2027, SHB2 nano gen-1 — isn't equipment-stock momentum, it's the infra call that unlocks HBM4E 16-Hi's thermal/power ceiling. Between AMD's $9.8B Q1 guide and Wedbush's $400 PT, the real signal isn't MI400 ramp timing — it's MI308 China collapsing from $390M to $100M in one quarter. China-decoupling has entered the GPU revenue structure. MediaTek doubling ASIC guidance to $2B and onsemi posting AI datacenter +100% YoY are evidence that 'AI silicon that isn't a GPU' — custom ASIC plus DC power IC — is finally breaking out as its own category. On tonight's AMD call, two lines — OpenAI volume pacing and MI450 capacity — set the tone for 1H26.
1. Global Semiconductor Sales Up 25% Q4 2025 → Q1 2026 — Record $298.5B
TL;DR — Per the SIA release on May 4 (US), 1Q26 global semiconductor revenue hit $298.5B, +25% QoQ — an all-time quarterly high. AI infra and memory pricing pulled in tandem.
2. KOSPI +5% to Record 6936.99 — SK Hynix Cap Tops KRW 1,031T for First Time
TL;DR — On May 4, KOSPI closed at 6936.99, +338.12 pts (+5.12%), an all-time high. SK Hynix surged +12.52% to KRW 1,447,000, market cap KRW 1,031.28T — the second name after Samsung (KRW 1,359T) in the 'quadrillion-won club.'
Source: Seoul Shinmun — KOSPI +5% to Record 6936.99 — SK Hynix Cap Tops KRW 1,031T for First Time
3. HBM Hybrid Bonding Transition Accelerates — Samsung, SK Hynix, Tool Vendors All In
TL;DR — Per May 4 reporting, Samsung is shipping HBM4E (gen-7) samples to key customers this month using partial hybrid bonding, while SK Hynix is evaluating a bonder co-developed with Applied Materials and BESI. Hanmi Semi is putting KRW 100B into a 4,415-pyeong bonder-only fab in Incheon, and Hanwha Semitech has its SHB2 nano prototype in customer qual.
Source: Newspim — HBM Hybrid Bonding Transition Accelerates — Samsung, SK Hynix, Tool Vendors All In
4. Wedbush Lifts AMD PT to $400, Maintains Outperform — Q1 Print Tonight
TL;DR — Wedbush's Matt Bryson raised AMD's PT from $290 to $400 (+38%) on May 4, maintaining Outperform. AMD reports 1Q26 after the US close — company guide $9.8B revenue (YoY +32%), datacenter consensus ~$5.56B (YoY +51.5%).
Source: Wedbush — Wedbush Lifts AMD PT to $400, Maintains Outperform — Q1 Print Tonight
5. MediaTek Targets US$2B ASIC Sales as Cloud Rivals Chase Custom-Chip Capacity — Guide Doubled
TL;DR — Per DIGITIMES (May 4), MediaTek doubled its 2026 AI ASIC revenue guide from $1B to $2B. With cloud operators' custom-silicon push now visible, its first ASIC project for a US hyperscaler is on track.
6. onsemi Q1 Tops Guide Midpoint — AI Datacenter Revenue 2x YoY
TL;DR — onsemi reported 1Q26 revenue of $1,513M (above guide midpoint) and non-GAAP EPS $0.64 on May 4. AI datacenter revenue ran +100% YoY and +30% QoQ; Q1 buybacks totaled $346M.
Source: onsemi — onsemi Q1 Tops Guide Midpoint — AI Datacenter Revenue 2x YoY
