In this article, we discuss the 35 chip stocks powering the AI boom.
AI has played a pivotal role in driving growth within the semiconductor market, transforming it into one of the most lucrative sectors globally. As AI applications proliferate across industries — from cloud computing and autonomous vehicles to healthcare — demand for advanced semiconductor technologies has surged. NVIDIA, a leader in AI GPUs, reported record revenues exceeding $30 billion in Q2 2024, largely driven by AI-related chip sales. Jensen Huang, the CEO of the chipmaker, remarked that AI was the most powerful technology force of the time and was transforming industries across the board.
AI demands massive data processing capabilities, which in turn requires highly specialized semiconductors like GPUs, TPUs, and AI accelerators. Experts highlight that 75% of AI workloads rely on advanced chips designed specifically for machine learning and deep learning tasks. Research firm Gartner predicts that 70% of all new AI applications by 2025 will require hardware accelerators, primarily in data centers and edge computing environments, underscoring the critical role of AI in the semiconductor ecosystem. As AI models become more complex, they require exponentially larger memory and storage solutions.
Read more about these developments by accessing 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock and AI News You Should Not Have Missed.
AI models like GPT-4 by OpenAI and PaLM by Google have billions of parameters, and memory-intensive High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips are crucial for training and inference. This has led to a significant increase in the production of memory chips, with AI-related demand accounting for a large portion of the $500 billion semiconductor industry. AI-focused startups and established companies alike are benefiting from this growth. For instance, the AMD acquisition of Xilinx in 2022 was aimed at enhancing AI capabilities, resulting in a major competitive advantage in AI chips.
However, the rosy picture has been dented in recent weeks on the back of a major selloff in the tech sector and increased volatility in the semiconductor space. Robert Maire, the chief of Semiconductor Advisors, a prominent financial consulting firm, recently appeared on news platform CNBC to discuss the market volatility in the chip sector, highlighting factors like earnings not being enough to keep stocks at inflated values and the threat of possible Chinese oversupply in trailing edge semiconductors. Maire said that AI has been the only driver of growth in the semi market, leading to a situation where investors got ahead of themselves.
Maire highlighted during his appearance that China was still lagging behind the US and Europe in the leading-edge AI space, as it had been deprived of tools needed to keep pace with change in this market. However, the chip advisor claimed that Chinese firms have caught up in the trailing edge AI space, citing examples of Chinese firms like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited already exceeding US-based firms like UMC and GlobalFoundries in capability. He cautioned that despite progress, Chinese firms were still not doing enough to challenge US-based leaders in the trailing edge space.
Read more about these developments by accessing 33 Most Important AI Companies You Should Pay Attention To and 20 Industrial Stocks Already Riding the AI Wave.
Our Methodology
For this article, we selected companies that operate in the semiconductor sector and have exposure to the AI industry. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A robotic arm holding a semiconductor chip, emphasizing the precision and quality of the company’s production equipment.
Chip Stocks Powering AI Boom
35. EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ:EMKR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 2
EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ:EMKR) designs and manufactures fiber optic gyro, ring laser gyro, and micro electromechanical system-based inertial sensors and systems. Some key AI-related products of the firm include Quartz MEMS and Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). These are used for precision navigation and stabilization in various unmanned systems, such as drones and autonomous vehicles. The company also markets TACNAV Tactical Navigation Systems that are widely deployed in military vehicles and are used for real-time navigation and situational awareness, often integrated into larger AI systems for automated decision-making in defense operations.
EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ:EMKR) is viewed with caution by finance experts. Craig-Hallum recently lowered the price target on the stock to $1 from $2 and kept a Hold rating, noting that while the stock was very cheap, the overriding concern that the advisory had remained on the balance sheet. In an investor note, analysts at the advisory underlined that investors were waiting for progress on the balance sheet and approaching breakeven before expecting the market to value the stock appreciably higher.
34. ChipMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. (NASDAQ:IMOS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 4
ChipMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. (NASDAQ:IMOS) markets semiconductor assembly and testing services. These advanced semiconductor packaging and testing services play a critical role in the broader ecosystem that supports AI technologies. They are essential for the development and manufacturing of high-performance chips used in AI applications like data centers, edge computing, and communication devices. For example, ChipMOS’s expertise in testing high-density memory and mixed-signal semiconductors directly contributes to the functionality of AI hardware, where high-speed data processing is crucial.
ChipMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. (NASDAQ:IMOS) recently reported a 15.4% year-on-year growth in revenue for August, led by the continued healthy DDIC demand and slight improvement in utilization rate. The revenue for the month of August 2024 was more than $66 million, representing an increase of 2.5% from July 2024.
33. STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16
STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) makes and sells semiconductor products. The company has long-term exposure to structural growth areas such as the energy transition, data centers, and microcontrollers. The company recently launched a smart sensor with edge AI processing for motion tracking in industrial and robotics applications. In June, the firm had launched the STAI suite, bringing together tools, software and knowledge to simplify and accelerate edge AI application development.
STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) has attracted bull calls from Wall Street. TD Cowen analyst Matthew Ramsay recently lowered the price target on the stock to $40 from $50 and kept a Buy rating, noting that auto was modestly down with SiC growth feels doable, but the sharp industrial correction was not getting better and implied 4Q guidance still was not a layup given elevated channel, adding that the firm needed a clean quarter, probably two, to rebuild investor confidence.
