Analyst: AI Helped Broadcom (AVGO) Cover Up ‘Some Nastiness’ In Core Business

We recently published a list of Top 10 Trending AI Stocks on Latest Analyst Ratings and NewsSince Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) ranks 5th on the list, it deserves a deeper look.

AI stocks have pulled back considerably over the past few weeks and analysts believe this is exactly the healthy correction long-term investors were looking for. According to Bloomberg, Rob Sluymer, technical strategist at RBC Wealth Management, said that AI stocks have stabilized at levels they can sustain for the rest of the year. The analyst said technical indicators now show AI stocks have gone from overbought to oversold territory.

“Now that positions have been unwound, there’s an opportunity for traders to take positions,” Sluymer reportedly said.

Many others agree with Sluymer. Dan Ives of Wedbush reiterated his view that we are still in the early stages of the AI bull market in a latest program on CNBC.

“If you look at what we’ve seen from AI revolution to broader tech, it’s been strong from an earnings perspective. And the growth scare that we saw, it’s just a bump in the road to what I believe is the fourth industrial revolution playing out,” Ives said.

For this article, we picked up 10 AI stocks that are making waves on the back of latest earnings, analyst ratings or important industry news. With each company, we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. 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).

Is Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) Trending AI Stock on Latest Analyst Ratings and News?

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Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 130

Stacy Rasgon, Bernstein U.S. semiconductor senior analyst, recently said while talking to CNBC that he’s “always” liked Broadcom and it’s his favorite semiconductor stock pick.

“Broadcom I think has the second best AI story in the (semiconductors) space after Nvidia.”

Rasgon said the company sells networking and computing power to hyperscalers. This, according to the analyst, has helped the company “cover up some nastiness” in its core business. The analyst said Broadcom’s AI guidance is conservative.

“Highest margin, highest free cash flow in the space and I think the valuation is still really attractive relative to the sector.”

TD Cowen in a fresh note named Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) as one of the stocks that can benefit from the rise in AI spending. Analysts at the firm said there are “no signs” of generative AI demand abating and highlighted that Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) recently raised its full-year AI outlook. Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) expects AI-related revenue for 2024 at $11 billion.

Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) recently reported second-quarter results. Revenue in the quarter rose about 43% year over year. AI revenue in the period rose a whopping 280% year over year. Broadcom’s revenue stream is diverse and does not rely on a single source. It includes enterprise, networking, storage, data center/hyperscaler, industrial, and consumer space. For 2024 AVGO has increased its annual revenue guidance to over $51 billion, anticipating growth of over 40%. A significant portion of this growth is expected to come from software, which would also help margins.

The company’s Ethernet business is also strong amid partnerships with Arista Networks (ANET), while the company is also collaborating with Dell (DELL), Juniper (JNPR), and Super Micro (SMCI) in the networking business and other segments. Broadcom has also developed ASIC AI chips in partnership with Google and Meta Platforms.

Aristotle Atlantic Large Cap Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. The company strategically focuses its research and development resources to address niche opportunities in target markets and leverage its extensive portfolio of U.S. and other patents and other intellectual property to integrate multiple technologies and create system-on-chip component and software solutions that target growth opportunities. Broadcom designs products and software that deliver high performance and provide mission-critical functionality. The company has a history of innovation in the semiconductor industry and offers thousands of products that are used in end products such as enterprise and data center networking, home connectivity, “set-top boxes broadband access”, telecommunication equipment, smartphones and base stations, data center servers and storage systems, factory automation, power generation and alternative energy systems, and electronic displays. Broadcom differentiates itself through its high-performance design and integration capabilities and focuses on developing products for target markets where it believes it can earn attractive margins.

We view Broadcom’s semiconductor business as being very well positioned to benefit from secular growth in data center networking, which is being driven by AI and cloud computing. The company continues to invest in research and development, and we see this as a competitive advantage for the company. Broadcom’s infrastructure software business is a recurring revenue business model that provides mission-critical mainframe support software to its customer base. The recent VMware acquisition will enhance this business strategy and accelerate the growth rate of this business unit, as VMware’s product suite includes key tools for AI server upgrades. Our long-term investment thesis is supported by Broadcom’s success in its strategy of maintaining technology and market share leadership in mission-critical markets with high switching costs and deep profit pools.”

Overall, Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) ranks 5th on Insider Monkey’s list titled Top 10 Trending AI Stocks on Latest Analyst Ratings and News. While we acknowledge the potential of Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO), our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AVGO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion “Opportunity” for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These Stocks.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.