Broadcom vs. Intel: What Revenue Trends Tell Investors About These Artificial Intelligence Companies
Key Points
Broadcom has generated consistently higher revenue than Intel in the past eight quarters, establishing a clear lead over its semiconductor peer.
Broadcom demonstrates a continuous quarter-over-quarter revenue expansion pattern that has recently accelerated, while Intel exhibits a more uneven historical trajectory characterized by periodic sequential increases and decreases.
Investors should watch whether the widening revenue gap between the two companies continues to expand or if the recent disparity begins to stabilize in upcoming reporting periods.
Broadcom: Accelerating Revenue Growth
Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) primarily generates revenue by designing, developing, and supplying advanced electronic components and critical infrastructure software globally.
It recently collaborated with OpenAI to design an intelligence processor, and it secured a long-term agreement to migrate global banking services for Standard Chartered to a private cloud environment.
Intel: Uneven Historical Revenue Trends
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) primarily generates revenue by designing, manufacturing, and selling computing processors and related infrastructure technologies globally.
It recently initiated a workforce reduction within its data center group to improve organizational efficiency, and it established a strategic collaboration with Fortinet to develop specialized security processors.
Why Revenue Matters for Investors
Revenue shows the total sales volume a business generates from its primary operations. This metric helps investors measure a company's overall size, market footprint, and long-term trajectory.
Quarterly Revenue for Broadcom and Intel
| Calendar quarter | Broadcom Revenue | Intel Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 | $14.1 billion (quarter ended Nov. 3, 2024) | $13.3 billion (quarter ended Sept. 28, 2024) |
| Q4 2024 | $14.9 billion (quarter ended Feb. 2, 2025) | $14.3 billion (quarter ended Dec. 28, 2024) |
| Q1 2025 | $15.0 billion (quarter ended May 4, 2025) | $12.7 billion (quarter ended March 29, 2025) |
| Q2 2025 | $16.0 billion (quarter ended Aug. 3, 2025) | $12.9 billion (quarter ended June 28, 2025) |
| Q3 2025 | $18.0 billion (quarter ended Nov. 2, 2025) | $13.7 billion (quarter ended Sept. 27, 2025) |
| Q4 2025 | $19.3 billion (quarter ended Feb. 1, 2026) | $13.7 billion (quarter ended Dec. 27, 2025) |
| Q1 2026 | $22.2 billion (quarter ended May 3, 2026) | $13.6 billion (quarter ended March 28, 2026) |
| Q2 2026 | $29.6 billion (quarter ended Aug. 2, 2026) | $16.1 billion (quarter ended June 27, 2026) |
Data source: Financial Modeling Prep. Data as of Sept. 21, 2026.
Foolish Take
A look at the revenue trends between Broadcom and Intel reveal the success the former experienced thanks to the artificial intelligence boom, while the latter struggled to capitalize on AI, although that appears to be changing in recent quarters.
Between 2024 and this year, the AI sector took off, as Broadcom's consistent quarterly sales growth demonstrates. This also shows the company's semiconductor products for AI are a hit, with revenue in Broadcom's most recent fiscal quarter, ended Aug. 2, representing an impressive 86% year-over-year increase.
Meanwhile, Intel's sales have not shown Broadcom's explosive growth as it stumbled in its efforts to capitalize on the rise of AI. That changed when the company brought on Lip-Bu Tan as CEO in 2025. His turnaround efforts resulted in Intel delivering 25% year-over-year growth in its fiscal second quarter, which ended June 27.
Now, Intel is poised to begin producing an upward trajectory of sales growth. It expects revenue in its fiscal third quarter to come in between $15.8 billion and $16.8 billion.
Robert Izquierdo has positions in Broadcom and Intel. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Broadcom, Fortinet, and Intel. The Motley Fool recommends Standard Chartered Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.