Missed Out on Nvidia? My Best AI Stock to Buy and Hold

Nvidia and TSM are two AI stocks that are trading at reasonable valuations and remain well-poised to deliver outsized returns.

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The artificial intelligence (AI) race is heating up, with big tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon investing billions of dollars seeking an early mover advantage. One beneficiary of the AI boom has been Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), which is selling shovels amid the gold rush.

Nvidia’s data centre business produces graphic processing units, or GPUs: chips used to train and deploy AI platforms. The semiconductor giant has seen its data centre sales grow from US$3 billion in fiscal 2020 (ended in January) to US$98 billion in the last 12 months. While the tech stock currently trades 10% below its all-time high, it has returned over 2,000% to shareholders in the last five years, valuing the company at a market cap of US$3.3 trillion.

The AI market is forecast to expand at a brisk pace over the next decade, which seems Nvidia’s growth story is far from over. In fact, Wall Street expects Nvidia’s adjusted earnings per share to expand from US$1.3 in fiscal 2024 to US$6 per share in fiscal 2027.

If NVDA stock is priced at a trailing price-to-earnings multiple of 40 times, it will trade at US$240 in early 2027, indicating an upside potential of 78% from current levels.

Created with Highcharts 11.4.3Nvidia + Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing PriceZoom1M3M6MYTD1Y5Y10YALL21 Dec 202320 Dec 2024Zoom ▾Jan '24Mar '24May '24Jul '24Sep '24Nov '240www.fool.ca

However, Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM) is another AI stock that may deliver outsized gains to shareholders and outpace Nvidia through 2027 and beyond. Let’s see why.

Why TSM stock may outperform Nvidia

Taiwan Semiconductor is another pick-and-shovel play that is growing at an enviable pace. The world’s largest contract chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor, produces advanced microchips for companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices.

It specializes in manufacturing chips using cutting-edge process technologies catering to customer specifications. This business model allows other tech companies to access advanced chip manufacturing without investing in building their own fabrication plants.

In the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, TSMC reported revenue of US$23.5 billion, an increase of 39% year over year. Its gross margin expanded by 4.6 percentage points sequentially to 57.8%, while its operating margin grew to 47.5%, up from 42.5%. The company attributed its margin expansion to higher capacity utilization rates and cost improvement initiatives.

With US$69 billion in cash and over US$12 billion in quarterly operating cash flow, Taiwan Semiconductor has the flexibility to reinvest in organic growth and drive future cash flows higher. In 2024, TSMC allocated over US$30 billion towards capital expenditures, most of which will be spent on advanced process technologies.

While the high-performance computing market accounted for 51% of sales, the smartphone segment was next with a 34% share in Q3 of 2024.

AI has emerged as a significant growth driver for TSMC as it expects server processor revenue to more than triple in 2024, accounting for roughly 15% of the top line, indicating the acceleration of AI-related demand.

TSMC projects Q4 sales to grow 35% year over year to US$26.5 billion, given midpoint estimates. Analysts tracking the tech stock expect adjusted earnings to double from US$5.2 per share in 2023 to US$10 per share in 2026. Priced at 19.7 times forward earnings, TSM stock is reasonably valued and should outpace its peers in 2025 and beyond.

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This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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