*

Analysts expect a record profit in the third quarter

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TSMC benefiting more than other chip foundries from AI

boom

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TSMC has already reported market-forecast-beating rise in

Q3

revenue

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Earnings call at 0600 GMT on Thursday

TAIPEI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - TSMC, the world's largest

manufacturer of advanced artificial intelligence chips, is set

to post a 28% jump in third-quarter profit to reach a record

high due to surging demand for AI infrastructure, though U.S.

tariffs may complicate its outlook.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( TSM ), the world's

biggest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Nvidia ( NVDA )

and Apple ( AAPL ), is likely to report a net profit of T$415.4

billion ($13.59 billion) for the three months through September

30, showed an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 20 analysts.

SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts from

analysts who are more consistently accurate.

TSMC has already flagged a market-forecast-beating rise in

third-quarter revenue of 30%. Any profit result above T$398.3

billion would be the chipmaker's highest-ever and its seventh

consecutive quarter of profit growth.

TSMC, Asia's most-valuable listed company with a market

capitalisation of around $1.2 trillion - nearly three times that

of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) - will

report financial results on Thursday and provide fourth-quarter

guidance in an earnings call scheduled for 0600 GMT.

On Wednesday, top semiconductor equipment maker ASML

, for whom TSMC is a major customer, said third-quarter

bookings beat market forecasts but that it expected a

significant fall in demand from China next year.

Samsung on Tuesday said it expected its biggest quarterly

profit in over three years, also on the AI boom.

It remains unclear how much U.S. President Donald Trump's

tariffs will affect TSMC. Taiwan's exports to the United States

are currently subject to a 20% tariff, but that excludes chips.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick proposed last

month that Taiwanese companies split their production of chips

50-50 between Taiwan and the U.S., compared to the current setup

where the vast majority of production is on the island.

Taiwan has rejected that idea. TSMC is already investing

$165 billion building factories in the U.S. in the state of

Arizona.

Shares in TSMC have gained 36% so far this year on optimism

over AI, largely brushing off tariff concerns. The heavyweight's

rise has powered the benchmark Taiwanese index's 18%

advance over the same period.

($1 = 30.5680 Taiwan dollars)