For Immediate ReleasesChicago, IL – December 26, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includeAnalog Devices, Inc. (ADI) , Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and Fortive Corp. (FTV) .Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:Buy 3 Tech Stocks as Santa Claus Rally Gets UnderwayThe Santa Claus rally appears to have fina ...

MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTSI) is one of the fastest-growing semiconductor stocks to buy. On December 3, Tim Savageaux, an analyst at Northland, increased his price target on the stock from $200 to $225 and maintained his Outperform rating. Following Marvell Technology’s acquisition of startup Celestial AI, Savageaux noted that several suppliers of lasers, external light sources, and other optical components are seeing improved long-term potential. He therefore updated his estimate ...

Core Viewpoint - Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) is a prominent player in the semiconductor industry, recognized for its strong financial performance and commitment to shareholder value, despite facing macroeconomic challenges [1][2][5]. Financial Performance - ADI reported record revenue of $11 billion for the fiscal year, representing a 17% increase from the previous year [3][6]. - The company's gross margin improved to 69.3%, an increase of 140 basis points year-over-year, while the operating margin rose to 41.9%, up by 100 basis points [3][6]. - ADI generated a record free cash flow exceeding $4 billion, accounting for 39% of its revenue [4][6]. Shareholder Value - The company returned more than $4 billion to shareholders, demonstrating its commitment to delivering value [4][6]. - Goldman Sachs maintained a "Buy" rating for ADI and raised its price target from $285 to $300, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance [2][6]. Market Position and Competition - ADI competes with other semiconductor giants like Texas Instruments and NXP Semiconductors, leveraging its extensive technology portfolio and expertise [1]. - The stock has fluctuated between a low of $229.32 and a high of $252.48, with a market capitalization of approximately $124.95 billion [5]. Investor Interest - The trading volume on NASDAQ for ADI is 7,514,900 shares, indicating strong investor interest [5].

Core Insights - Analog Devices (ADI) shares have increased by 10.5% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry's return of 6.5% [1] - The company is experiencing strong growth across all segments, including industrial, automotive, communications, and consumer [4][7] Segment Performance - The industrial segment grew by 22.9%, driven by demand from instrumentation, automation, healthcare, aerospace and defense, and energy management [5] - The automotive segment saw a growth of 22.4%, supported by advancements in next-generation Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and power management [8] - The communications segment experienced a significant growth of 40.5%, fueled by rising demand for broadband, wireless, and Internet infrastructures, particularly with the advent of AI and high-performance computing [6] - The consumer segment grew by 21.3%, benefiting from traction in handsets, gaming, hearables, and wearables [7] Financial Performance - ADI's strong top-line growth is enhancing its operating margin and cost structure, with expected margins of 21.4% for fiscal 2025 and 20% for fiscal 2026 [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADI's earnings per share for the current year is $7.75, with a projection of $9.30 for the next year [10] Challenges - ADI faces subdued demand in healthcare since the pandemic peak, although the business is stabilizing [12] - The communications segment's growth is heavily reliant on AI traction, raising concerns about demand diversification [13] - The consumer segment is cyclical and lower-margin compared to industrial segments, presenting additional challenges [13] - Approximately 20% of ADI's revenues come from China, making it vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and trade issues [14] - The company faces strong competition from established players like Texas Instruments and NXP Semiconductors across various segments [14][15] Valuation - ADI is currently considered overvalued, trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 9.39X, compared to the industry's average of 6.88X [17][16] Conclusion - Despite high valuation concerns, ADI's robust fundamentals, solid revenue growth prospects, and strong margins suggest it is a stock worth holding [19]

Core Insights - Microchip Technology Incorporated is a significant player in the semiconductor industry, focusing on microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog, and Flash-IP solutions [1] - The company is set to release its quarterly earnings on November 6, 2025, with analysts closely monitoring its performance metrics [1] Earnings Projections - Wall Street analysts project an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33, representing a year-over-year decline of 28.3% [2][6] - The company has guided for EPS to range between $0.34 and $0.37, indicating potential variance from analyst expectations [2] Revenue Expectations - Revenue projections for the quarter are approximately $1.13 billion, reflecting a 2.7% year-over-year decline [3][6] - Microchip anticipates net sales to range between $1.11 billion and $1.15 billion, suggesting a sequential growth of 5.1% [3] Growth Drivers - The anticipated growth is driven by improving inventory levels, increased direct shipments, and strong design wins in sectors such as industrial, aerospace, and AI [3] Financial Metrics - The price-to-sales ratio is about 7.75, indicating investors are willing to pay $7.75 for every dollar of sales [4] - The enterprise value to sales ratio stands at approximately 8.91, reflecting the company's valuation in relation to its sales [4] - The debt-to-equity ratio is about 0.80, suggesting a balanced approach to leveraging debt for growth [5] - The current ratio of approximately 2.31 indicates a strong ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets [5]

Core Insights - Analog Devices' (ADI) consumer segment experienced a 21% year-over-year growth, driven by demand in handsets, gaming, hearables, and wearables [1][8] - The growth trajectory in ADI's consumer segment is expected to persist long-term, supported by four consecutive quarters of double-digit year-over-year growth [4] Market Trends - The hearables market is projected to grow at an 18.5% CAGR from 2025 to 2035 [2] - The wearables market is expected to see a CAGR of 13.6% from 2025 to 2030 [2] - The smartphone market is also on a growth path, with a CAGR of 7.3% anticipated until 2029 [3] - Global semiconductor sales increased by 15.8% in Q3 2025, indicating a favorable environment for ADI [3] Competitive Landscape - ADI competes with Texas Instruments (TXN) and NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) in the consumer applications segment [5][6] - Texas Instruments focuses on analog, digital, and mixed signal chains, precision sensing, and power management for consumer electronics [5] - NXP Semiconductors provides analog and mixed-signal chips for mobile, connectivity, and consumer applications, particularly in mobile and IoT markets [6] Financial Performance - ADI's stock has increased by 16.4% year-to-date, outperforming the Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry's growth of 13.8% [8] - The forward price-to-sales ratio for ADI is 10.29X, which is higher than the industry's average of 7.2X [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates year-over-year earnings growth of 21.5% for fiscal 2025 and 20.1% for fiscal 2026 [10]

Core Insights - Marvell Technology (MRVL) presents an attractive investment opportunity due to its high cash flow margins available at a discounted price [1][8] - The company is transitioning towards a niche in AI infrastructure, which may enhance its market position as the industry shifts from centralized model training to continuous inference across devices [4] Financial Performance - Revenue growth for Marvell Technology is reported at 37.1% over the last twelve months (LTM) and an average of 10.9% over the past three years [8] - The company has achieved a 25.5% operating cash flow margin and a 6.0% operating margin LTM, indicating strong recent profitability [8] - Long-term profitability metrics show an average operating cash flow margin of 25.5% and an operating margin of -1.3% over the last three years [8] Market Positioning - Marvell Technology's stock is currently priced at a price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 10.5, reflecting a 19% discount compared to the previous year [8] - The company specializes in developing analog, mixed-signal, and digital integrated circuits, as well as Ethernet solutions and storage controllers, which support various host system interfaces [5]

Core Viewpoint - Qorvo Inc. is merging with Skyworks Solutions to create a $22 billion semiconductor enterprise, aiming to enhance market position and innovation [1][6]. Company Developments - Citigroup upgraded Qorvo's stock from "Sell" to "Neutral," with the stock priced at $97.39 at the time of the upgrade [2]. - Qorvo's stock has recently increased to $97.42, reflecting a 5.74% rise, with a market capitalization of approximately $9.03 billion [4]. Merger Implications - The merger is expected to create significant synergies but may face anti-trust scrutiny and political uncertainties [3][6]. - The combined entity will have over 50% of its sales from Apple, making Apple's perspective crucial for the merger's success [3]. Competitive Landscape - The merger could impact competitors like Murata, Broadcom, and Qualcomm, who may benefit from market share shifts [3][6]. - Skyworks has seen consistent demand for its analog chips, while Qorvo has faced pressure from activist investor Starboard Value [5].

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, research reports, and stock screens [1][2] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that help investors select stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum [2][10] Value Score - The Value Style Score identifies attractive and discounted stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow [3] Growth Score - The Growth Style Score focuses on a company's financial health and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - The Momentum Style Score helps investors capitalize on price trends by examining one-week price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [5] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with the best value, growth potential, and momentum, serving as a strong indicator alongside the Zacks Rank [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in building successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks yielding an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7][8] Stock Selection Strategy - For optimal returns, investors should focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B, while 3 (Hold) stocks should also have A or B Scores for potential upside [10][11] Company Spotlight: Marvell Technology - Marvell Technology, a fabless designer of integrated circuits, holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and a VGM Score of B [12] - The company has a Momentum Style Score of A, with shares increasing by 30.1% in the past four weeks, and has seen upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 [13]

Industry Overview - Semiconductor sales have been experiencing rapid growth, driven by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and demand from various industries [1][10] - Global semiconductor sales reached $64.9 billion in August, marking a 4.4% increase from July and a 21.7% rise year-over-year from $53.3 billion in August 2024 [3][10] - The semiconductor market is expected to maintain double-digit growth through 2025, fueled by rising demand for data center processors and memory components as AI investments increase [6][10] Regional Performance - Sales growth in August was particularly strong in the Asia Pacific and the Americas, with year-over-year increases of 43.1% and 25.5% respectively [4] - China and Europe also saw sales growth, with increases of 12.4% and 4.4% year-over-year [4] Company Highlights - Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (AEIS) focuses on power-conversion solutions for the semiconductor industry, with an expected earnings growth rate of 53.1% for the current year and a Zacks Rank of 2 [7][8] - Analog Devices (ADI) specializes in analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing integrated circuits, with an expected earnings growth rate of 21.5% and a Zacks Rank of 1 [9][11] - RF Industries, Ltd. designs and manufactures coaxial connectors, with an expected earnings growth rate of over 100% and a Zacks Rank of 1 [12]