JPMorgan: Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Demand Broadly Upgraded, WFE Outlook and LTAs Accelerating in Tandem

According to TechFlow Research, JPMorgan Chase's August 17 research report pointed out that chip manufacturers' capital expenditures continue to be raised, and equipment vendors' WFE outlooks are revised upward in tandem. TSMC raised its 2026 capital expenditure to $60 billion to $64 billion (+52%), Intel raised it to $20 billion (+11%), and SK Hynix plans 40 trillion Korean won (+45%). Tokyo Electron raised its 2026 WFE outlook to over $150 billion and over $190 billion in 2027, with gross margin expected to reach 50% by early fiscal 2027. Screen Holdings expects 2026 WFE growth to exceed 20% (at least $140 billion). AXT is shifting InP substrate capacity to 6-inch, having received requests for five-year contracts from customers and significant prepayments, with prices expected to rise from 2026 to 2027. Storage LTA coverage is accelerating; Samsung plans to bring 60% to 70% of capacity under LTA, SK Hynix has signed 10 contracts, and SanDisk has signed 8 contracts. The research report concludes that signals from four directions all point to the semiconductor equipment and materials cycle shifting from volume expansion to a dual drive of volume and price. Japanese semiconductor and technology material companies are expected to become major beneficiaries.