Chip Stock Investor Podcast

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is one of our favorite “forever stocks” at Chip Stock Investor, best known for its Da Vinci robotic surgical system. The company's stock has been a strong performer over the long term, but it has recently come under pressure due to the growing popularity of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. GLP-1s are also associated with a number of othe...

In this video, we discuss the latest earnings reports from Tesla (TSLA), Lam Research (LRCX), and Taiwan Semi (TSM), and what they mean for a possible end-of-year stock rally. Tesla's Q3 2023 earnings weren’t great, with revenue and deliveries below expectations. The EV price war is hurting, and even Elon Musk said Cybertruck production is going to hurt. However, the company is still on track...

ASML Holding is notching impressive growth in 2023, but management has now flagged 2024 as a "transition year." Customers still aren't making purchase orders, and it seems the company's most advanced EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography systems are experiencing sluggish adoption. Could this put ASML's aggressive financial targets for 2025 at risk? Chip Stock Investors Nick a...

ASML has a stranglehold (but not a total monopoly) on lithography equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. Japanese conglomerate Canon (CAJPY) is doubling down on competing advanced chipmaking equipment it originally acquired in 2014, and recently announced a new breakthrough it thinks could compete with ASML’s most advanced machines. Canon certainly wants to be more than a PR-driven player in t...

Aehr Test Systems is a hyper-growth small-cap stock, but its huge run up in the last year has sent the valuation sky-high. Investors are split on the merits of buying now. In light of this, CEO Gayn Erickson dropped some highly useful data regarding the EV industry during the last earnings update. Nick and Kasey discuss what they're doing regarding AEHR stock right now after selling for a tidy...

It’s been a wild couple of months, with plenty of bad news weighing down the stock market: rising interest rates, political discord and dysfunction, renewed calls for a coming recession, and war. But deals can still be found for investors with a long-term mindset, and oftentimes it’s easiest to find deals among common business names -- perhaps ones you already own. In this month’s “shallow dive” o...

In the last Chip Stock Investor video, we discussed two cheap small-cap chip stocks we're watching closely in the coming months. This time we're adding small chip manufacturer Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) to that list. Nick and Kasey discuss what has happened since Intel's (INTC) failed acquisition of Tower, why it could be a great value stock right now, and what will move them off the s...

Our last episode about ASML and the semiconductor lithography equipment market briefly discussed the photomask business Photronics (PLAB). Lithography is a critical step in semiconductor manufacturing, and it can’t be done without photomasks. That’s where Photronics comes in. It’s a small business with a sharp focus, and it’s profitable. Is it a good long-term buy? Chip Stock Investors Nick and Ka...

In our last video, we discussed the importance of ASML and the geopolitical risks (U.S. versus China) the company faces in the semiconductor landscape right now. ASML is a VERY important company in the industry, but is it the most important? ASML does rely on other company collaborators in order to provide the world with the most leading edge chips. Photomasks are an integral part of the manufactu...

ASML, the world's leading semiconductor lithography machine maker, faces serious geopolitical risks. Things could get even more complicated in 2024. In this video, Nick and Kasey discuss the biggest risk of all: new restrictions on the export of immersion DUV equipment to China, which could join the list of already restricted EUV equipment. These export restrictions, which will go into effect...

In this episode of Chip Stock Investor, Nick and Kasey first talk about their long-held Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) stock that may not sound like an exciting energy play. Indeed, Apple (AAPL) comprises nearly half of Warren Buffet's stock portfolio. However, Buffett's investment conglomerate has enjoyed ongoing growth, in part, driven by it’s subsidiary energy businesses -- including measur...

It’s Chip Stock Investor’s 1-year anniversary on YouTube, and we’re celebrating by breaking down how semiconductor stocks have done -- and not just in 2023. Since 2010, chip stocks have been among the absolute best total return investments around, even surpassing performance of software-focused ETFs. Nick reveals one ETF that provided a more than 10x return, beating most popular funds. Nick and Ka...

GlobalFoundries (GFS) just opened their new $4 billion expansion facility in Singapore to address future semiconductor demand. The company has weathered the chip downturn in the recent year and is hoping for a rebound. What does this news update tell us about the financial state of GlobalFoundries? Semiconductor manufacturing equipment company Onto Innovation (ONTO) had some updates of their own i...

Warren Buffet’s tech stock pick of HP (HPQ) seemed like it was a good play on the consumer tech market when we all were buying PC’s and printers while working from home in 2020 and 2021. The party looked like it may never end with workers fighting to keep the work-from-home hoorah alive. Fast forward to 2023 and many workers are back in office, at least part-time, and we are all spending a whole l...

Salesforce, ServiceNow, and UiPath are cloud-based software service providers that help businesses get more efficient. Each has had bumps in the road during the bear market last year, but are things starting to turn around for the better? Salesforce has right sized its expenses and is focused on profitable growth and share buybacks. It is using AI to help customers get the most out of their custom...

Qualcomm and Apple just announced that they have extended their multi-year agreement for Qualcomm to supply 5G modem-RF systems to Apple for future iPhones. The new agreement covers the supply of Snapdragon 5G modem-RF systems for products that will be released in 2024, 2025, and 2026. This agreement is a significant development for both companies. For Qualcomm, it means that it will continue to b...

More big semiconductor news this week as investors mull the implications of Huawei’s advanced smartphone chip. Some believe Qualcomm is in line to lose out on billions of dollars in business. And that might be a fair assessment, since China accounts for over 60% of the mobile chip company’s sales. However, there’s more to the story. Chip Stock Investor delves into some important parts of Qualcomm’...

Big news broke this week that Chinese tech giant Huawei, and its chip manufacturing partner Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC), had a major chip breakthrough. The silicon powering the Mate 60 Pro was supposed to be impossible to craft without leading edge equipment from ASML, but it appears China has found a workaround. What does that mean for U.S. sanctions, and for ASML investors?...

The semiconductor and computing technology industry is undergoing a major transformation. As chips become more complex, the need for closer integration between chip design and software development is becoming increasingly important. This is where two top stocks, Broadcom (AVGO) and CrowdStrike (CRWD), come in. Broadcom is a leading provider of semiconductor products for a wide range of application...

We're back with our top stocks we’re personally buying in the month of September 2023. We have some old Chip Stock Investor favorites, another buy into a recent bet on the lithium and EV market, and a couple of new additions that we are really excited about. Check out our new video for our 5 stocks we are buying in September. ☕☕☕If you feel so inclined, please show your support here by fuel...

Mellanox was a little-followed acquisition that Nvidia made in 2020, and it's now paying off big time. Nick and Kasey do a little digging and discuss just how much of an effect that the acquisition has had on recent earnings. TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) is a key chip manufacturer and system packaging partner for NVIDIA, so that means its growth will be tied to the biggest AI chip...

Marvell, or as we affectionately call it, “Baby Broadcom,” released earnings last week and had a significant decline from last year. Data center sales dragged down the numbers, with automotive being the only standout star segment. But Marvell Technology has made some advances and expects, of course, AI to swoop in and help out in the coming quarters. Does that put it on our buy list? Allegro Micro...

Synopsys is a leader in EDA (electronic design automation) software and has had great growth over the past decade. The company will have a new CEO in 2024, one that has been at Synopsys for decades. Synopsys also has a segment focusing on software verification and security. What do these changes mean for the company and is it a stock you should be interested in learning about? Palo Alto Networks h...

Nvidia obliterated financial expectations in the second quarter. Revenue was $13.5 billion, versus the $11 billion forecast provided three months ago. Shares are at all-time highs, and there is little sign of the business slowing down in the next year or so. But does that make Nvidia stock a buy? There are some important factors to consider and some recent news releases give us some insight into w...

Wolfspeed, the self-proclaimed pure-play leader in silicon carbide (SiC) has captivated many investors based on its aggressive building of SiC manufacturing facilities and hot growth from the electric vehicle industry. The company is now currently building another facility in North Carolina to complete their vertical integration plans. But is Wolfspeed really the best company to invest in to capit...