In this article, we will list the Semiconductor Stars: Ranking the Top 5 Chip Stocks by YTD Performance. Please visit Semiconductor Stars: Ranking the Top 10 Chip Stocks by YTD Performance if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.
5. STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM)
YTD Share Price Return: 108.9%
STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) is one of the top semiconductor stocks in our ranking of the top 10 chip stocks by YTD performance. On April 27, JPMorgan lifted the price target on STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) to EUR 48 from EUR 38 and maintained a Neutral rating on the shares.
STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) also received a rating update from Susquehanna on April 24. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $60 from $55, reaffirming a Positive rating on the shares and stating that they gave strong fiscal Q2 guidance with bookings accelerating, inventories normalizing, and DC continuing to expand. It added that although the management outlined a path to greater than 40% GMs, manufacturing reshaping remains somewhat of a headwind.
The rating update came after STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) announced its fiscal Q1 2026 results on April 23, with net revenues of $3.10 billion for the quarter. Management reported that U.S. GAAP gross margin was 33.8%, and excluding the Purchase Price Allocation effects from the acquisition of NXP’s MEMS sensor business, non-U.S. GAAP gross margin was at 34.1%.
STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) is a global semiconductor company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets products used in a wide range of applications for automotive, personal electronics and communications equipment, industrial, computers, and peripherals. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Automotive and Discrete Group (ADG), Analog, MEMS, and Sensors Group (AMS), Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group (MDG), and Others.
4. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (NASDAQ:AOSL)
YTD Share Price Return: 111.76%
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (NASDAQ:AOSL) is one of the top semiconductor stocks in our ranking of the top 10 chip stocks by YTD performance. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (NASDAQ:AOSL) announced on April 30 the launch of the SmartClamp™ family of protected DrMOS, specifically designed for the extreme power demands of AI servers, data centers, and high-end graphics cards. Management stated that the SmartClamp™ family offers high-accuracy Over Current Protection (OCP) and Negative Current Protection (NCP), adding that the flagship AOZ53228QI offers a unique safeguard for multiphase voltage regulators (VRs), which prevents catastrophic failures in environments where high peak currents are the norm.
Zach Zhang, Power IC Marketing Director at Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (NASDAQ:AOSL), stated that the SmartClamp™ DrMOS family was engineered by the company to address the specific ‘stress tests’ of modern AI workloads. Zhang added that by pairing them with its advanced controllers, including the OVR16, OVR4-22, and Intel IMVP/AMD SVI3 compatible series, the company offers “a seamless, high-efficiency Vcore solution that gives designers peace of mind in high-density power applications”.
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (NASDAQ:AOSL) is involved in the design, development, and supply of power semiconductor products for computing, communication, consumer electronics, and industrial applications. Its operations are divided into the following geographical segments: Hong Kong, China, South Korea, the United States, and Other Countries.
3. Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO)
YTD Share Price Return: 154.28%
Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO) is one of the top semiconductor stocks in our ranking of the top 10 chip stocks by YTD performance. Wedbush lifted the price target on Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO) to $230 from $180 on April 30, reaffirming an Outperform rating on the shares. The rating update came on the back of the company’s substantial beat and raise, with the firm heading into this quarter looking for a modest beat and an in-line guide.
Wedbush told investors that while it expected share gains, and particularly momentum in the China market, would likely allow Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO) to surpass its initial guide, the firm did not anticipate a notable deviation from management’s prior full-year outlook. It believes what the company provided instead was a significant beat, followed by a massive upward guide driven by strength across the company’s business units.
Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO) also received a rating update from Craig-Hallum the same day. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $250 from $160 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares, noting that the stock was up 45% on the strong print. However, the firm continues to like the risk-reward owning shares and the company’s datacenter business, with a market-leading solution, is just now ramping.
Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:SIMO) develops, manufactures, and supplies semiconductor products for the electronics market. Its products include Storage Solutions, Flash Controllers, and others. The company offers embedded graphics, embedded and expandable storage, and radio frequency integrated circuits. It was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Hong Kong.
2. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
YTD Share Price Return: 174.71%
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the top semiconductor stocks in our ranking of the top 10 chip stocks by YTD performance. On April 28, Freedom Broker upgraded Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) to Buy from Hold, lifting the price target on the stock to $100 from $25. The firm told investors that the company’s fiscal Q1 earnings report, with a material beat across revenue, gross margin, and EPS, marks a credible inflection” in the “new Intel” thesis under Lip-Bu Tan. It also said that for the first time in several quarters, it includes “forward guidance that reinforces rather than undercuts the operational narrative”.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) announced financial results for fiscal Q1 2026 on April 23, reporting that revenue for the quarter reached $13.6 billion, up 7% year-over-year. First-quarter earnings (loss) per share attributable to the company were $0.73, while non-GAAP EPS attributable to Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) were $0.29. Management further reported that it is forecasting fiscal Q2 2026 revenue in the range of $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion, and is expecting fiscal Q2 2026 EPS attributable to the company of $0.08 and non-GAAP EPS of $0.20.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is involved in the design, sale, and manufacture of computer products and technologies. It delivers data storage, computer, networking, and communications platforms. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Client Computing Group (CCG), Data Center and AI (DCAI), Intel Foundry Services (IFS), and All Other.
1. MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ:MXL)
YTD Share Price Return: 341.08%
MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ:MXL) is one of the top semiconductor stocks in our ranking of the top 10 chip stocks by YTD performance. MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ:MXL) was upgraded to Buy from Hold by Loop Capital on April 29, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to $75 from $17. The rating update came after the company reported its fiscal Q1 2026 earnings on April 23. Loop Capital told investors in a research note that although the stock has nearly tripled this year, the firm’s work “strongly suggests this train has a lot of room left to run”, and that the company’s recent results confirmed its momentum.
In its fiscal Q1 2026 results, MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ:MXL) reported a net revenue of $137.2 million, up 43% year-over-year and attributed to an inflection in the company’s infrastructure business, which surged 136% versus the previous year. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin reached 59.5% and diluted EPS was $0.22, representing a considerable improvement from the loss of $0.05 per share reported in fiscal Q1 2025.
MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ:MXL) provides communications systems-on-chip (SoC) solutions used in broadband, data center, mobile, and wireline infrastructure, and industrial and multi-market applications. The company’s products include wireline connectivity devices, direct broadcast satellite outdoor and indoor units, cable broadband modems and gateways, radio frequency transceivers, fiber-optic modules, video set-top boxes and gateways, hybrid analog and digital televisions, and power management and interface products.
While we acknowledge the potential of MXL to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MXL and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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