ZACKSยท2025-06-27 19:01Core Insights - Arm Holdings plc (ARM) is positioned at the center of the AI revolution, with its architecture being integral to a wide range of chips used in devices from smartphones to AI applications [1] - The current valuation of ARM, trading at nearly 85X forward 12-month earnings, is significantly higher than the semiconductor industry average of 33X, indicating high expectations that may take time to reflect in financial results [2] Financial Performance - ARM ships over 30 billion chips annually but generates modest revenue, reporting $4 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2024, with $2 billion from royalties, resulting in an average royalty rate of approximately 6.5 cents per chip and overall per-chip revenue of about 13 cents [3][9] - Despite a 28% year-to-date stock surge, earnings estimates for ARM have declined over the past 60 days, highlighting potential concerns about future performance [10][12] Competitive Landscape - NVIDIA and Qualcomm are presented as better-valued alternatives for semiconductor exposure, with NVIDIA trading at a forward P/E of 32 and showing strong revenue growth driven by demand for GPUs, while Qualcomm trades at just 13X forward earnings and has a diversified chip portfolio [5][6] - Both NVIDIA and Qualcomm have demonstrated more effective monetization of their innovations compared to ARM, making them compelling investment options [6]