Broadcom has recently reported strong third-quarter financial results, largely attributed to significant growth within its artificial intelligence (AI) chip division. A notable development is a new $10 billion order for custom AI chips, which market analysts widely believe originates from OpenAI. This substantial order, alongside Broadcom's existing partnerships with tech giants like Alphabet and Meta Platforms, underscores the company's pivotal role in the burgeoning AI infrastructure market. Despite its stock experiencing a substantial rally this year, this analysis delves into Broadcom's latest financial performance and its promising future opportunities in the AI sector, evaluating whether the current market valuation still presents a viable investment for new entrants.
Broadcom's foray into the custom AI chip market began with its collaboration with Alphabet, where it played a crucial role in developing the highly efficient Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). These specialized chips are designed to enhance performance within Google's TensorFlow framework, enabling Google Cloud to achieve cost efficiencies and superior performance compared to competitors relying on standard Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). This initial success with Alphabet paved the way for Broadcom to attract additional clients in the custom AI chip space.
The company had previously projected that its three most advanced custom chip customers, thought to include Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and ByteDance, could collectively represent a staggering $60 billion to $90 billion serviceable addressable market (SAM) by fiscal year 2027. The recent announcement of a fourth customer placing a $10 billion order for chips, primarily for fiscal year 2026 delivery, has significantly bolstered investor confidence and is expected to provide a substantial boost to Broadcom's growth trajectory. Reports from the previous year indicated that OpenAI was in discussions with Broadcom regarding the development of custom AI chips, suggesting that the production timeline for these chips might be accelerating faster than initially anticipated. Furthermore, Apple is identified as a more recent client, whose contributions to Broadcom's revenue could materialize sooner than market predictions.
During the third fiscal quarter, Broadcom's primary custom AI chip clientele were instrumental in driving revenue growth. AI revenue surged by 63% to reach $5.2 billion, with custom chips contributing a substantial 65% to this total, an increase from 60% in the preceding quarter. While AI networking revenue also remained robust, it was the custom chip segment that truly led the charge. Overall, Broadcom's total revenue for the quarter increased by 22% year-over-year to $15.96 billion, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbing by 36% to $1.69. These figures surpassed analyst estimates of $1.65 adjusted EPS on $15.83 billion in revenue. Adjusted EBITDA also saw a significant increase of 30% year-over-year, reaching $10.7 billion.
Looking ahead, Broadcom anticipates its fiscal fourth-quarter revenue to grow by 24% to approximately $17.4 billion. This projection includes a 30% increase in semiconductor revenue to $10.7 billion, with AI semiconductor revenue alone expected to soar by 66% to $6.2 billion. The company also projects adjusted EBITDA to be around 67% of its revenue, equating to roughly $11.7 billion. The considerable custom chip AI opportunity that lies ahead for Broadcom, highlighted by the $10 billion order from a new customer, solidifies its strong market position. This amount is particularly significant given that the company is on track to generate approximately $13 billion in AI chip revenue for the current fiscal year. While there are ongoing considerations regarding export controls and their potential impact on providing custom chips to certain customers, a strong partnership with OpenAI could readily offset any such limitations. Furthermore, there's an expectation that U.S. companies may soon resume selling AI chips to Chinese entities, which would open additional avenues for growth. From a valuation standpoint, Broadcom's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 40.7, based on fiscal 2026 analyst estimates, might seem elevated, but its price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of approximately 0.5 suggests it could still be undervalued, considering its robust growth outlook.
Broadcom is well-positioned to capitalize on the escalating demand for AI infrastructure. Its strategic focus on custom AI chip development and strong financial performance indicate a resilient business model with substantial upside potential. The company's ability to secure large orders from key players in the AI industry, combined with its ongoing innovation, positions it as a compelling investment opportunity within the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence landscape.
