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ARM vs. TSM: Arm Holdings vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Stock Comparison

How do Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) are both classified in the Semiconductors sub-industry within the broader Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 9, 1997, whereas Arm Holdings (ARM) listed on September 14, 2023 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Both Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) trade as ADRs — their core financials are comparable, but keep FX, depositary-program fees, and dividend withholding in view for each.

Company profile comparison for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
Profile ItemARMTSM
NameArm Holdings plc ADRTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. ADR
Country/RegionUnited KingdomTaiwan
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupSemiconductors & Semiconductor EquipmentSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS IndustrySemiconductors & Semiconductor EquipmentSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustrySemiconductorsSemiconductors
Market Capitalization186.84 billion USD1,947.21 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateSeptember 14, 2023October 9, 1997
Security TypeADRADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ARM
TSM
GSPC
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Total Return (1Y)23.60%37.26%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)53.99%64.12%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)--28.19%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ARM
TSM
GSPC
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)82.24%41.69%
Beta (5Y)3.921.45
Max Drawdown (5Y)-62.06%-56.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)5.05M11.20M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ARM and TSM are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.230.79
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.381.15

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 41.86% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 11.35% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for TSM.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

11.35%

Max
52.82%
Q3
22.26%
ARM
11.35%
Median
10.58%
Q1
1.29%
Min
-16.89%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

41.86%

Max
52.82%
TSM
41.86%
Q3
22.26%
Median
10.58%
Q1
1.29%
Min
-16.89%
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their ROE against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 51.12% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Arm Holdings (ARM) at 17.13%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

17.13%

Max
63.80%
Q3
28.36%
ARM
17.13%
Median
11.44%
Q1
0.90%
Min
-37.77%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

51.12%

Max
63.80%
TSM
51.12%
Q3
28.36%
Median
11.44%
Q1
0.90%
Min
-37.77%
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their net margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 58.66% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Arm Holdings (ARM) at 13.93%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

13.93%

Max
58.66%
Q3
30.23%
Median
15.91%
ARM
13.93%
Q1
7.54%
Min
-25.74%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

58.66%

TSM
58.66%
Max
58.66%
Q3
30.23%
Median
15.91%
Q1
7.54%
Min
-25.74%
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their operating margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
ROE (TTM)11.35%41.86%
ROA (TTM)5.50%20.58%
Net Margin (TTM)17.13%51.12%
Operating Margin (TTM)13.93%58.66%
Gross Margin (TTM)97.44%65.85%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 31.61% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 22.79% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for TSM.

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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 46.41% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 13.33% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for TSM.

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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Revenue Growth (YoY)22.79%31.61%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)22.46%18.94%
EPS Growth (YoY)13.33%46.41%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)18.51%19.12%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 2.51 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 6.35 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

6.35

Max
10.33
ARM
6.35
Q3
5.62
Median
3.33
Q1
2.35
Min
1.03

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.51

Max
10.33
Q3
5.62
Median
3.33
TSM
2.51
Q1
2.35
Min
1.03
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their current ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Arm Holdings (ARM) at 0.06 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.12 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.06

Max
1.46
Q3
0.65
Median
0.27
ARM
0.06
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.12

Max
1.46
Q3
0.65
Median
0.27
TSM
0.12
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Current Ratio (MRQ)6.352.51
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.060.12
Net Debt / EBITDA-2.77-0.89

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Arm Holdings (ARM) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a yield of 1.70%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
1.37%
Q3
0.65%
ARM
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.70%

TSM
1.70%
Max
1.37%
Q3
0.65%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Arm Holdings (ARM) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a payout of 24.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
49.64%
Q3
21.71%
ARM
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

24.46%

Max
49.64%
TSM
24.46%
Q3
21.71%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.70%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%24.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 24.33 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 200.71 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for ARM’s trailing earnings.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

200.71

ARM
200.71
Max
110.34
Q3
66.81
Median
37.02
Q1
23.96
Min
8.12

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

24.33

Max
110.34
Q3
66.81
Median
37.02
TSM
24.33
Q1
23.96
Min
8.12
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.39 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Arm Holdings (ARM) at 34.20 prices above its industry range — a wide gap in sales valuation between them.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

34.20

ARM
34.20
Max
21.42
Q3
12.27
Median
5.76
Q1
2.73
Min
0.00

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.39

Max
21.42
Q3
12.27
Median
5.76
Q1
2.73
TSM
0.39
Min
0.00
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Arm Holdings (ARM) at 20.56 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 71.65 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

ARM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

20.56

ARM
20.56
Max
14.06
Q3
7.44
Median
4.29
Q1
2.30
Min
0.20

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

71.65

TSM
71.65
Max
14.06
Q3
7.44
Median
4.29
Q1
2.30
Min
0.20
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Arm Holdings (ARM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Arm Holdings (ARM) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricARMTSM
P/E Ratio (TTM)200.7124.33
P/S Ratio (TTM)34.200.39
P/B Ratio (MRQ)20.5671.65
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.61%61.78%