While Nvidia (NVDA) remains the undisputed leader in artificial intelligence (AI) chips, a few other emerging companies are gaining investor attention.
Their trajectory suggests they could be the next major chip stock to ride the AI wave. Furthermore, Wall Street has rated both of these chip stocks as “Strong Buy.” For investors looking beyond the usual suspects, Marvell Technology (MRVL) and Broadcom (AVGO) could be names worth watching closely.
Valued at $1.4 billion, Broadcom is a global technology company that designs and develops semiconductors and infrastructure software. AVGO stock is up 28% year-to-date, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index ($NASX) is up 11.6%.
Broadcom operates in two segments. On the semiconductor side, it manufactures products for data centers, AI, networking (Ethernet switches/routers), broadband, wireless, and storage. On the software front, through the VMware acquisition, it provides cloud and virtualization software that enables enterprises to build and manage private and hybrid clouds.
In the second quarter, Broadcom generated total revenue of $15 billion, representing a 20% year-over-year increase. Adjusted EBITDA surged to $10 billion, up 35% from a year ago, reflecting exceptional operating discipline. Adjusted earnings increased by an impressive 43.6% to $1.58 per share, with a gross margin of 79.4% thanks to a favorable product mix. Broadcom’s rapidly expanding AI business generated $8.4 billion in semiconductor revenue, a 17% increase year over year. AI semiconductor revenue alone reached $4.4 billion, a 46% increase, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Broadcom’s Ethernet-based networking solutions, such as Tomahawk switches, Jericho routers, and network interface cards, have become essential for hyperscale AI clusters.
Broadcom’s infrastructure software division is powered by VMware and generated $6.6 billion in revenue, a 25% increase. Management announced that 87% of its 10,000 largest customers have now adopted VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), resulting in a stable and growing base of annual recurring revenue. In the quarter, free cash flow amounted to $6.4 billion, or 43% of revenue. The company ended the quarter with $9.5 billion in cash and $69.4 billion in gross principal debt. Broadcom paid $2.8 billion in dividends and repurchased $4.2 billion in shares in the second quarter.