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TSLA vs. TSM: Tesla vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Stock Comparison

How do Tesla (TSLA) 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

Tesla (TSLA) is classified in the Consumer Discretionary sector (Automobiles & Components), whereas Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) belongs to Information Technology (Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Tesla (TSLA) trades as ordinary local shares, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
Profile ItemTSLATSM
NameTesla, Inc.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesTaiwan
GICS SectorConsumer DiscretionaryInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupAutomobiles & ComponentsSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS IndustryAutomobilesSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryAutomobile ManufacturersSemiconductors
Market Capitalization1,471.29 billion USD2,170.59 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateJune 29, 2010October 9, 1997
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

TSLA
TSM
GSPC
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Tesla (TSLA) 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 Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Tesla (TSLA) 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 Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Total Return (1Y)-17.10%45.48%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)20.62%68.46%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)4.19%31.75%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

TSLA
TSM
GSPC
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Tesla (TSLA) 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 Tesla (TSLA) 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 Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)45.10%39.14%
Beta (5Y)1.751.43
Max Drawdown (5Y)-73.63%-56.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)38.27M11.02M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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TSLA and TSM are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.481.05
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.661.58

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 41.86% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Tesla (TSLA) at 3.84% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for TSM.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

3.84%

Max
45.44%
Q3
11.80%
Median
3.97%
TSLA
3.84%
Q1
-20.00%
Min
-61.53%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

41.86%

Max
44.25%
TSM
41.86%
Q3
21.16%
Median
9.12%
Q1
-2.07%
Min
-16.89%
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 51.12% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Tesla (TSLA) at 3.11%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

3.11%

Max
15.15%
Q3
4.28%
TSLA
3.11%
Median
1.28%
Q1
-4.17%
Min
-14.37%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

51.12%

Max
58.15%
TSM
51.12%
Q3
24.02%
Median
10.09%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-34.50%
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 58.66% turns sales into operating profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Tesla (TSLA) at 2.56% operates around its industry’s norm.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

2.56%

Max
18.53%
Q3
8.80%
Median
4.15%
TSLA
2.56%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-8.50%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

58.66%

TSM
58.66%
Max
54.31%
Q3
23.80%
Median
15.10%
Q1
3.21%
Min
-27.51%
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
ROE (TTM)3.84%41.86%
ROA (TTM)1.35%20.58%
Net Margin (TTM)3.11%51.12%
Operating Margin (TTM)2.56%58.66%
Gross Margin (TTM)19.29%65.85%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 31.61% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Tesla (TSLA) at -2.93% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 44.69% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Tesla (TSLA) at -47.06% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for TSM.

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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Revenue Growth (YoY)-2.93%31.61%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.19%18.94%
EPS Growth (YoY)-47.06%44.69%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-33.18%18.65%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Tesla (TSLA) at 1.74 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 2.51 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

1.74

Max
4.16
Q3
2.49
Median
1.77
TSLA
1.74
Q1
1.11
Min
0.32

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.51

Max
9.75
Q3
5.37
Median
3.30
TSM
2.51
Q1
2.25
Min
1.03
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Tesla (TSLA) at 0.18 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.12 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

0.18

Max
2.03
Q3
1.24
Median
0.78
Q1
0.36
TSLA
0.18
Min
0.01

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.12

Max
1.44
Q3
0.65
Median
0.18
TSM
0.12
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.742.51
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.180.12
Net Debt / EBITDA-2.92-0.89

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Tesla (TSLA) 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 1.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

0.00%

Max
5.31%
Q3
2.21%
TSLA
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.46%

TSM
1.46%
Max
1.12%
Q3
0.48%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Tesla (TSLA) 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.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

0.00%

Max
72.06%
Q3
34.00%
TSLA
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

24.46%

Max
45.89%
TSM
24.46%
Q3
19.14%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.46%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%24.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 27.12 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Tesla (TSLA) at 409.03 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for TSLA’s trailing earnings.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

409.03

TSLA
409.03
Max
50.13
Q3
29.07
Median
20.74
Q1
12.81
Min
6.05

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

27.12

Max
131.83
Q3
75.24
Median
42.42
TSM
27.12
Q1
26.67
Min
8.74
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.44 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Tesla (TSLA) at 14.21 prices above its industry range — a wide gap in sales valuation between them.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

14.21

TSLA
14.21
Max
2.91
Q3
1.36
Median
0.49
Q1
0.24
Min
0.00

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.44

Max
29.47
Q3
13.72
Median
6.92
Q1
3.08
TSM
0.44
Min
0.01
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Tesla (TSLA) at 16.48 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 79.87 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

TSLA

Automobiles & Components industry group

16.48

TSLA
16.48
Max
3.89
Q3
2.18
Median
1.22
Q1
0.67
Min
-1.31

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

79.87

TSM
79.87
Max
16.75
Q3
8.96
Median
4.96
Q1
2.62
Min
0.16
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Tesla (TSLA) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Automobiles & Components and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Tesla (TSLA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricTSLATSM
P/E Ratio (TTM)409.0327.12
P/S Ratio (TTM)14.210.44
P/B Ratio (MRQ)16.4879.87
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.32%55.43%