We recently compiled a list of the 35 Chip Stocks Powering AI Boom. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG) stands against the other AI stocks.
AI has played a pivotal role in driving growth within the semiconductor market, transforming it into one of the most lucrative sectors globally. As AI applications proliferate across industries — from cloud computing and autonomous vehicles to healthcare — demand for advanced semiconductor technologies has surged. NVIDIA, a leader in AI GPUs, reported record revenues exceeding $30 billion in Q2 2024, largely driven by AI-related chip sales. Jensen Huang, the CEO of the chipmaker, remarked that AI was the most powerful technology force of the time and was transforming industries across the board.
AI demands massive data processing capabilities, which in turn requires highly specialized semiconductors like GPUs, TPUs, and AI accelerators. Experts highlight that 75% of AI workloads rely on advanced chips designed specifically for machine learning and deep learning tasks. Research firm Gartner predicts that 70% of all new AI applications by 2025 will require hardware accelerators, primarily in data centers and edge computing environments, underscoring the critical role of AI in the semiconductor ecosystem. As AI models become more complex, they require exponentially larger memory and storage solutions.
AI models like GPT-4 by OpenAI and PaLM by Google have billions of parameters, and memory-intensive High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips are crucial for training and inference. This has led to a significant increase in the production of memory chips, with AI-related demand accounting for a large portion of the $500 billion semiconductor industry?. AI-focused startups and established companies alike are benefiting from this growth. For instance, the AMD acquisition of Xilinx in 2022 was aimed at enhancing AI capabilities, resulting in a major competitive advantage in AI chips.
However, the rosy picture has been dented in recent weeks on the back of a major selloff in the tech sector and increased volatility in the semiconductor space. Robert Maire, the chief of Semiconductor Advisors, a prominent financial consulting firm, recently appeared on news platform CNBC to discuss the market volatility in the chip sector, highlighting factors like earnings not being enough to keep stocks at inflated values and the threat of possible Chinese oversupply in trailing edge semiconductors. Maire said that AI has been the only driver of growth in the semi market, leading to a situation where investors got ahead of themselves.
Maire highlighted during his appearance that China was still lagging behind the US and Europe in the leading-edge AI space, as it had been deprived of tools needed to keep pace with change in this market. However, the chip advisor claimed that Chinese firms have caught up in the trailing edge AI space, citing examples of Chinese firms like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited already exceeding US-based firms like UMC and GlobalFoundries in capability. He cautioned that despite progress, Chinese firms were still not doing enough to challenge US-based leaders in the trailing edge space.
For this article, we selected companies that operate in the semiconductor sector and have exposure to the AI industry. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG): A Chip Stock Powering The AI Boom
A close up of a circuit board, its microchips creating a powerful computing system.
Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG) develops, manufactures, and supplies microcontamination control products, specialty chemicals, and advanced materials handling solutions. The firm markets specially mixed liquids and gasses that are used in semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The firm recently announced that it had entered into a long-term supply agreement with Onsemi, a manufacturer of advanced energy-efficient power semiconductors. Under the deal, the former will provide the latter a range of co-optimized chemical mechanical planarization solutions for silicon carbide applications.
Bertrand Loy, the CEO of Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG), said during the second quarter earnings call that the company was the first materials supplier to be awarded funding through the CHIPS Act, validating the importance of the position of the firm in the chip market. He also noted that AI-driven growth was propelling markets forward in chips and memory.
Overall ENTG ranks 23rd on our list of the 35 chip stocks powering the AI boom. While we acknowledge the potential of Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTG) but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
