Artificial intelligence, darling. It’s simply everywhere, isn’t it? The market is positively giddy, and one rather suspects a good deal of the enthusiasm is based on hope and a distinct lack of proper scrutiny. Still, one must play the game. Let’s examine two ventures that appear, at a cursory glance, to be rather less… speculative than most. One can’t expect miracles, naturally, but a sensible return is always desirable.
Broadcom: The Chip Chap
The infrastructure supporting this AI craze is, predictably, becoming quite the battleground. Broadcom (AVGO 4.11%) seems to be positioning itself rather cleverly. While Nvidia continues to enjoy a moment in the sun – a rather garish one, if you ask me – a growing number of those who actually own the data centers – the hyperscalers, as they’re called – are beginning to eye alternatives. Especially when it comes to inference, which is, essentially, the cost of having these machines actually answer questions. It adds up, you know.
The secret, you see, is custom chips – ASICs, or application-specific integrated circuits. Unlike these versatile but ultimately rather clumsy GPUs, ASICs are built for a single purpose. They perform that purpose with a singular efficiency, and, crucially, consume less energy. Broadcom, it appears, is something of a master of this art, providing the building blocks for others’ designs. A rather useful position to be in, wouldn’t you agree?
They’ve already had a considerable success with Alphabet’s Tensor Processing Units – a most profitable arrangement, I gather. And others are turning to them for similar services. They’re projecting over $100 billion in AI ASIC sales by 2027 – a rather optimistic figure, perhaps, but one can’t fault ambition. That’s more than 1.5 times their revenue from 2025. And, to add to the charm, they also have a thriving data center networking business and a solid software division courtesy of VMware. All in all, a rather promising prospect. A little less frenzied than most, which is always a relief.
Meta Platforms: The Social Set
Meta Platforms (META 3.77%) has, rather cleverly, been applying AI to its core business. Their revenue climbed a respectable 24% last quarter, and they’re predicting further acceleration. One suspects a good deal of this is due to a rather astute understanding of what people actually want to see. Or, at least, what they can be persuaded to look at.
Their recommendation engine, improved by AI, is proving remarkably effective at keeping users glued to their apps – a considerable achievement, given the competition for attention. And their AI-powered tools are assisting advertisers in crafting more effective campaigns. The result? More ads, longer viewing times, and, naturally, higher prices. A rather predictable outcome, really.
They also have a couple of under-monetized assets – WhatsApp and Threads. They’re only just beginning to tap into their potential. Which suggests the growth story is far from over. It’s a solid buy at current levels, wouldn’t you say? One always appreciates a venture with a little something left up its sleeve.
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2026-03-15 23:02