On Dec. 11, Broadcom (AVGO) declared a $0.65 dividend for the quarter, a 10.2% increase from the previous quarter’s $0.59. The chipmaker continues to reward long-term investors as a rare dividend payer in the semiconductor industry. The fact that the company can not only keep up with but also increase the dividend payout speaks volumes about its strong cash flows.
The world is seeing increasing investment in IT infrastructure upgrades since the emergence of generative AI in 2022. As an AI chipmaker, AVGO is expected to continue reaping the benefits of this AI boom, which, according to analysts, is likely only at the halfway stage in terms of infrastructure spending.
Bank of America’s analysts believe volatility is set to dominate chip stocks, mainly because the question of ROI on AI investments is going to become increasingly important. However, for companies like Broadcom, the chip demand should stay strong. In 2026, semiconductor sales are likely to hit the $1 trillion mark for the first time. AVGO will take a good chunk of this pie.
Broadcom is a global tech giant that designs semiconductor equipment, along with software and networking equipment. The company plays a pivotal role in meeting the demand of the AI industry through its custom chip designs, built specifically to run AI workloads. It is led by CEO Hock Tan and headquartered in San Jose, California.
Despite a 22% drop in the last five trading sessions, the stock is up 35% in the last year, comfortably outpacing the Nasdaq Composite Index’s ($NASX) 13.2% gains.
Broadcom’s forward P/E of 44.68x has finally fallen below its five-year average forward P/E of 47.36x. This isn’t any significant discount, especially when seen in the context of its peers. Both Nvidia (NVDA) and Marvell Technologies (MRVL) trade at a forward P/E below AVGO at 38.38x and 28.06x, respectively. Even with a 22% dip in a matter of five days, the stock is trading at a premium to its peers. Its long-term debt-to-total capital ratio of 42.33% is also significantly higher than NVDA’s 7.31% and MRVL’s 22.43%. It is quite possible that this high valuation is what has caused such a strong negative reaction post-earnings, coupled with the obvious margin pressure the company is facing going forward.


