Broadcom

• Broadcom provided second-quarter guidance of $9.2 billion in revenues, exceeding analyst estimates by 6%, driven by surging demand for data center semiconductors and artificial intelligence accelerators from cloud computing providers. • CEO Hock Tan stated that AI-related semiconductor orders are tracking 40% above historical averages, with major customers committing to long-term capacity agreements through 2028, signaling sustained strong demand. • The robust guidance helped lift semiconductor index ETFs 2.1% during extended trading and sparked upgrades from multiple analysts who raised price targets on Broadcom by 8–12% based on improved visibility into AI infrastructure spending cycles.

• Broadcom announced the acquisition of a major semiconductor competitor in an all-stock transaction valued at $82 billion, marking one of the largest chip industry consolidations in five years and aimed at reducing competition in core infrastructure markets. • The deal includes a 28% premium to the target company's 30-day volume-weighted average price and is expected to generate $8 billion in annual cost synergies through manufacturing optimization and R&D consolidation. • Regulatory approval is anticipated by late 2026, with both companies maintaining competitive positions in data center and 5G markets, though the transaction signals ongoing industry consolidation pressures amid AI infrastructure buildout and margin compression.

• Broadcom announced supply chain bottlenecks across the tech sector, particularly at TSMC, due to skyrocketing demand for AI chips on March 24, 2026. • The constraints affect networking, custom silicon, and data-center hardware critical for AI infrastructure beyond major model developers. • This highlights the AI hardware race creating opportunities for startups to innovate in chip manufacturing tools amid industry-wide shortages.