AI Server Demand Ignites Surge in MLCC Spot Prices

Multilayer ceramic capacitors, or MLCCs, are critical components in AI-server power systems, computing boards and automotive electronics. Demand is shifting toward higher-capacitance, high-reliability parts as data-center investment accelerates, tightening supply at the premium end of the market. Price increases by Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Taiyo Yuden have therefore become an important read-through for Yageo Group, a leading passive-component supplier, as investors assess whether firmer pricing can sustain its earnings momentum.

At a July 29, 2026, online investor conference hosted by Morgan Stanley, Yageo detailed its second-quarter performance and outlook. Revenue reached a record NT$44.456 billion, up 16.5% from the previous quarter and 35.7% from a year earlier; June sales alone were NT$15.359 billion, up 38.9% year on year. The company said inventory destocking had bottomed and its book-to-bill ratio had climbed to 2.2, while some end customers were offering premiums to secure capacity.

Demand for high-capacitance, high-reliability multilayer ceramic capacitors, or MLCCs, is rising as Google’s TPU, Amazon Web Services’ Trainium and custom ASIC platforms expand. Murata Manufacturing and Samsung Electro-Mechanics are prioritizing premium components used in AI servers, shifting production resources toward faster-growing data-center applications and tightening capacity for lower-end consumer electronics.

As of July 28, 2026, supply-chain reports showed monthly MLCC shipments at Murata and Samsung Electro-Mechanics reaching their highest levels in recent years. The production shift has squeezed consumer-grade supply, redirecting orders to distributors and manufacturers in Taiwan and China and prompting price increases for some products. The reports did not disclose shipment volumes or the size of the price adjustments.

Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are critical to power delivery, filtering and voltage stabilization in servers. AI racks require far more of them and involve much more complex manufacturing than conventional equipment, crowding out low- and mid-range capacity at Japanese and South Korean suppliers. Yageo can absorb spillover orders and has pricing power in chip resistors and tantalum capacitors, making it a major beneficiary of a new passive-component price-hike cycle.

On June 2, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley both rated Yageo "Overweight," with price targets of NT$1,000 and NT$1,010, respectively. Morgan Stanley raised its target again to NT$1,355 on June 15 and then to NT$1,515 on June 23. The brokerage also estimated that Yageo would raise average direct-customer prices by 30%–40% in the second half, with average MLCC selling prices set to rise another 67% in 2027.