Broadcom’s fourth quarter results saw a positive market reaction, reflecting strong momentum in its AI semiconductor business and improved operating leverage. Management highlighted that demand for custom AI accelerators among its six major customers, including Google and Anthropic, drove a 106% year-on-year increase in AI semiconductor revenue. CEO Hock Tan credited the company’s ability to deliver high volumes of custom chips and secure critical supply chain components, stating, “Our scale continues to drive significant operating leverage.” The quarter also benefited from expanding AI networking sales, enabled by Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 switch and advanced SerDes technology.
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Revenue: $19.31 billion vs analyst estimates of $19.21 billion (29.5% year-on-year growth, 0.5% beat)
Adjusted EPS: $2.05 vs analyst estimates of $2.02 (1.3% beat)
Adjusted EBITDA: $13.13 billion vs analyst estimates of $12.96 billion (68% margin, 1.3% beat)
Revenue Guidance for Q1 CY2026 is $22 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $20.49 billion
Operating Margin: 44.3%, up from 42% in the same quarter last year
Inventory Days Outstanding: 58, up from 49 in the previous quarter
Market Capitalization: $1.62 trillion
While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.
Blayne Curtis (Jefferies) asked about Broadcom’s ability to sustain outsized AI chip growth amid investor concerns about hyperscaler ROI. CEO Hock Tan described increasing demand for both training and inference, emphasizing productization of LLMs as a key driver and clarified that revenue forecasts are based on chips across several customer programs.
Harlan Sur (JPMorgan) questioned whether customer-owned tooling (COT) efforts by hyperscalers could erode Broadcom’s share. Tan responded that COT initiatives face significant technical and production barriers, stating, “We will not see competition in COT for many years to come.”
Ross Seymore (Deutsche Bank) probed the rising mix of networking within AI revenue and Broadcom’s long-term competitive edge. Tan pointed to Tomahawk switch leadership and predicted networking would consistently represent 33–40% of AI revenue.
Timothy Arcuri (UBS) focused on gross margin implications from shipping full rack solutions. Tan and CFO Kirsten Spears dismissed concerns, indicating that margins are stable and yields have improved, with no expected material impact from rack shipments.
Joshua Buchalter (TD Cowen) inquired about Broadcom’s improved visibility and customer commitments through 2028. Tan explained that deep, strategic partnerships and joint planning have allowed the company to secure long-term supply and align with customers’ evolving AI roadmaps.
