New Wave of Semiconductor Price Hikes Imminent! STMicroelectronics NV to Announce Price Increase on August 23

A new wave of price hikes in the semiconductor industry is accelerating. STMicroelectronics NV will announce its third price increase of the year on August 23, covering multiple product lines, marking a new phase in this cyclical semiconductor pricing adjustment.

According to a report by EE Times on the 21st, STMicroelectronics NV proactively notified customers of this price increase, citing strong semiconductor demand across multiple industries and rising costs in transportation, energy, raw materials, and manufacturing services. However, the company did not disclose specific hike percentages or the affected products. Meanwhile, prices for some of STMicroelectronics NV's automotive MCUs have already risen by 15% to 20% compared to previous levels, and lead times for power devices have generally extended to over 30 weeks, with some products reaching up to 52 weeks.

This development occurs against the backdrop of the company's significant performance recovery, reflecting broader industry trends—from analog chips to power semiconductors, and from MCUs to RF front-ends, price hike notices are being densely implemented, putting direct pressure on downstream manufacturers' procurement costs and supply chain management.

STMicroelectronics NV Raises Prices Three Times This Year, Expanding Product Coverage

According to reports, STMicroelectronics NV has already completed two rounds of price increases. The first round was announced on March 24 and took effect on April 26, primarily targeting automotive power semiconductors and high-end industrial MCUs with tight supply; the second round was announced on May 28 and took effect on June 28, expanding the scope to general-purpose MCUs, power ICs, and NFC RF chips, which were previously unaffected. The third round of price hikes, scheduled for August 23, means the company has completed three price adjustments in less than five months.

In terms of performance, the price hike measures are supported by improved profitability. According to EE Times, citing relevant reports, STMicroelectronics NV's net revenue in the second quarter of 2026 was $3.49 billion, a year-on-year increase of 26%, higher than the midpoint of the company's guidance; gross margin increased by 1.3 percentage points year-on-year to 34.8%; net profit attributable to shareholders reached $222 million, reversing the net loss of $97 million in the same period last year.

Global Giants Follow Suit, Price Hike Wave Spans Multiple Categories

STMicroelectronics NV is not an isolated case. Entering the second half of 2026, the trend of price increases has spread to multiple categories including analog chips, power semiconductors, MCUs, and RF front-ends. Texas Instruments has adjusted prices five times cumulatively in the past 12 months; NXP and onsemi have also successively announced price hikes; Infineon Technologies AG has completed two rounds of price adjustments this year, with the second round in July raising prices for AI server power supplies and automotive power devices by 10% to 20%.

RF chip leader Maxscend Microelectronics issued a price adjustment notice on August 10, announcing new prices for its full series of RF products effective September 1; Nationz Technologies quickly followed, raising prices for some MCU products by 10% to 20%; Analog Devices (ADI) will also implement its second price adjustment of the year starting September 13.

Regarding Asian suppliers, the Economic Daily reported that Taiwanese power semiconductor manufacturers are preparing for a third wave of price adjustments, potentially raising prices by 10% to 15% for non-contract products as early as October; according to another report by the Economic Daily, mainland Chinese chip manufacturer UNT has notified customers of a 15% to 25% price increase for the third quarter of 2026, marking its second price hike of the year.

AI Demand Squeezes Mature Process Capacity, Supply-Demand Contradictions Tighten

The structural driver of this round of price hikes lies in the continued tightness of mature process capacity. Strong demand from AI data centers, new energy vehicles, and industrial automation is putting pressure on the supply of 8-inch wafers. The Commercial Times added that if AI-related demand continues to squeeze mature process capacity, upward pressure on wafer prices may persist until 2027.

Analysts believe that the significant difference between this round of price hikes and previous cycles is that the explosion of AI computing power demand has created a "siphon effect" on mature process capacity. Coupled with rising supply chain costs, tightening supply and demand, and expanding demand for domestic substitution, these factors are jointly driving the semiconductor industry into an upward cycle characterized by rising volumes and prices.

Cost-side pressures cannot be ignored either. From wafer foundry to packaging and testing, comprehensive increases in energy, transportation, raw materials, and manufacturing service costs are pushing up chip production costs, constituting another important support for companies implementing price hikes.