By Harsh Chauhan, The Motley Fool
Publication Date: 2026-09-09 20:43:00
Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom are among the leading artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor companies, as major hyperscalers and AI labs are deploying their chip designs to run workloads in data centers.
Not surprisingly, all three companies have surged impressively over the past three years, clocking gains of more than 300% on the market. These semiconductor stocks could continue to deliver healthy long-term growth, driven by aggressive investments in AI data center infrastructure. However, there is a strong likelihood that they could be overshadowed by an underrated semiconductor company that has failed to capitalize on the AI boom so far — Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM).
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Let’s look at the reasons why Qualcomm could outperform its peers.
Image source: Getty Images.
Qualcomm’s growth is poised to pick up thanks to AI
While Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom have seen their share prices jump by more than 4x over three years, Qualcomm has clocked measly gains of just 63%. The PHLX Semiconductor Sector index, for comparison, has appreciated 232% in three years.
Qualcomm’s poor returns aren’t surprising. Its reliance on the smartphone market, where growth is difficult to come by, has kept its top and bottom…