Top 10 semiconductor stocks to watch in 2026

Semiconductors are the chips that power virtually every device that computes, connects or stores data. Most of the companies on this list design or manufacture those chips – ASML Holding N.V. ($ASML) makes the lithography machines that chip factories use to print circuits onto silicon.

How we built this list: We selected these companies based on their industry and ordered them by market capitalisation. Prices are updated daily, and the list and supporting content are reviewed roughly every quarter. All data is sourced from Stake. This list isn't a recommendation and isn't ordered by suitability.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Source: Stake market data. Figures in US$. Data updated as of 21 August 2026.

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1. NVIDIA ($NVDA)

NVIDIA (NVDA) share price over the last year: started at US$179.81, ended at US$214.72, a change of +19.4%. Range over the period: high US$235.74, low US$165.17. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$214.72 · Daily: -1.0% · Market cap: US$5.20T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

NVIDIA Corporation ($NVDA) builds the chips and software that power accelerated computing – a way of processing certain workloads, particularly AI tasks, far faster than a standard central processing unit can manage. Its two business segments are Compute & Networking and Graphics. The Compute & Networking side covers data centre platforms, AI solutions and automotive technology, including software for autonomous and electric vehicles. The Graphics side produces GeForce GPUs aimed at gamers and PC builders, and Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for professional workstation use.

Underneath all of it sits CUDA, $NVDA's foundational development platform that runs across every NVIDIA GPU and ties together hundreds of software libraries, frameworks and developer tools. That software layer is what lets researchers, engineers and companies build on $NVDA's hardware rather than starting from scratch. Jensen Huang leads the company, which employs around 42,000 people.

2. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ($TSM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) share price over the last year: started at US$235.59, ended at US$418.95, a change of +77.8%. Range over the period: high US$477.57, low US$228.39. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$418.95 · Daily: 0.7% · Market cap: US$1.96T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ($TSM) manufactures integrated circuits for other companies rather than designing chips under its own name. The foundry model means technology firms bring their chip designs to $TSM, which handles the physical production at scale.

Its process technology portfolio covers advanced nodes used in AI accelerators and high-performance computing, alongside specialised solutions for automotive and industrial applications. $TSM also provides photomask production, silicon stacking and packaging-related services, extending its role beyond basic chip fabrication.

The end markets its output reaches include wired and wireless communications, consumer electronics, wearable devices and smart internet of things hardware. Personal computing and information applications round out a customer base that cuts across much of the broader electronics industry.

3. Broadcom ($AVGO)

Broadcom (AVGO) share price over the last year: started at US$294.23, ended at US$368.45, a change of +25.2%. Range over the period: high US$481.57, low US$293.41. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$368.45 · Daily: 1.2% · Market cap: US$1.75T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Broadcom Inc. ($AVGO) designs chips that end up across a notably wide range of hardware – AI data centres, enterprise networking gear, wireless base stations, home connectivity devices, factory automation systems and alternative energy equipment. Its infrastructure software business helps enterprises simplify and secure their IT environments, covering private cloud, hybrid cloud and edge setups. CEO Hock Tan leads 33,000 employees across both segments.

4. Micron Technology ($MU)

Micron Technology (MU) share price over the last year: started at US$116.42, ended at US$966.78, a change of +730.4%. Range over the period: high US$1,213.56, low US$116.42. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$966.78 · Daily: -0.8% · Market cap: US$1.09T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Micron Technology ($MU) sits at the memory end of the semiconductor supply chain – making the DRAM, NAND and NOR chips that store and move data inside servers, phones, cars and consumer devices. It sells under two brands: Micron for enterprise and data centre customers, and Crucial for the consumer market.

The business runs across four units. One focuses on hyperscale cloud customers and high bandwidth memory for data centres, another on mid-tier cloud and enterprise storage, a third on mobile and client devices, and a fourth on automotive, industrial and consumer applications. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra leads a workforce of 53,000 people. Memory demand tied to AI workloads is a growing part of what drives $MU's data centre business.

5. AMD ($AMD)

AMD (AMD) share price over the last year: started at US$163.36, ended at US$473.25, a change of +189.7%. Range over the period: high US$580.91, low US$151.14. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$473.25 · Daily: 0.8% · Market cap: US$772.57B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Advanced Micro Devices ($AMD) designs processors and programmable chips across three business segments: data centres, consumer devices and gaming, and embedded systems. The data centre arm includes AI accelerators, server central processing units (CPUs) under the EPYC brand and graphics processing units (GPUs). $AMD's Ryzen line supplies CPUs and GPUs for laptops, desktops and gaming hardware. The embedded segment produces programmable logic devices and system-on-module products.

6. ASML Holding N.V. ($ASML)

ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) share price over the last year: started at US$754.46, ended at US$1,763.76, a change of +133.8%. Range over the period: high US$1,989.44, low US$725.85. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$1,763.76 · Daily: 0.8% · Market cap: US$682.69B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

ASML Holding N.V. ($ASML) builds the equipment chip factories use to print circuits onto silicon wafers. Its TWINSCAN systems deploy different light sources – krypton fluoride, argon fluoride and immersion techniques – to achieve the fine resolutions modern chips require. $ASML also produces metrology and inspection systems, which manufacturers use to check wafers at various points in production.

Christophe Fouquet leads a workforce of 43,520 people across subsidiaries that include the Netherlands, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, among others.

7. Intel ($INTC)

Intel (INTC) share price over the last year: started at US$24.55, ended at US$90.07, a change of +266.9%. Range over the period: high US$140.94, low US$24.00. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$90.07 · Daily: -2.2% · Market cap: US$476.03B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Intel Corporation ($INTC) designs and manufactures semiconductors across two main businesses: Intel Products and Intel Foundry. The products side covers processors for PCs and edge devices through its Client Computing Group, and workload-optimised chips for data centres, cloud infrastructure and high-performance computing through its Data Center and AI division. The foundry side develops new semiconductor process technologies and advanced packaging, essentially building chips for other companies under contract.

Under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, $INTC employs around 85,100 people globally. The company also holds a stake in Mobileye, which sits in its All Other segment alongside other businesses. That breadth – designing chips, running a foundry and holding positions in adjacent technology areas – makes $INTC a different kind of play than the pure-design or pure-manufacturing names elsewhere in this list.

8. Texas Instruments ($TXN)

Texas Instruments (TXN) share price over the last year: started at US$205.97, ended at US$264.36, a change of +28.3%. Range over the period: high US$332.28, low US$153.33. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$264.36 · Daily: -0.5% · Market cap: US$241.43B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Texas Instruments Incorporated ($TXN) sits at the less glamorous but deeply practical end of chip design. Its Analog segment makes semiconductors that manage electrical energy inside electronic equipment – converting voltages, measuring current, and keeping power stable across a circuit. The Signal Chain side of that business covers amplifiers, data converters and sensing products, which handle the movement and translation of real-world signals into usable data.

The Embedded Processing segment produces chips built for specific tasks, tuned to whatever mix of speed, power consumption and cost a particular application demands. Under chief executive Haviv Ilan, $TXN employs around 33,000 people to design and manufacture both product lines.

9. Analog Devices ($ADI)

Analog Devices (ADI) share price over the last year: started at US$254.49, ended at US$373.09, a change of +46.6%. Range over the period: high US$445.48, low US$225.20. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$373.09 · Daily: 0.8% · Market cap: US$180.79B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Analog Devices ($ADI) sits at the point where the physical world meets digital systems. Its chips don't do the computing – they translate real-world signals like temperature, pressure and radio frequency into data that processors can actually use. That makes them a quiet but necessary ingredient in equipment across healthcare, industrial automation, energy and mobility.

$ADI designs and manufactures integrated circuits (ICs) – including data converters, amplifiers, power management chips and radio frequency ICs – as well as edge processors and sensors. Some products are purpose-built for specific applications; others are general-purpose components that appear across many different industries. Under chief executive Vince Roche, the company employs around 24,500 people globally.

The business has a foot in several industries at once. Data centres, robotics, electric vehicles and grid infrastructure all rely on the kind of precision signal processing $ADI builds. That breadth means its fortunes don't depend entirely on any single end market, though it also means the company moves with broad industrial and technology spending cycles.

10. Qualcomm ($QCOM)

Qualcomm (QCOM) share price over the last year: started at US$156.42, ended at US$160.75, a change of +2.8%. Range over the period: high US$251.02, low US$124.07. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$160.75 · Daily: 0.01% · Market cap: US$168.79B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Qualcomm Incorporated ($QCOM) earns revenue two ways: by designing chips for wireless devices and by licensing the patents that others need to build those same devices. CEO Cristiano Amon oversees a company of 52,000 employees working across both sides of that model.

The chip division, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), develops integrated circuits and system software for 5G devices, connected vehicle systems, driver assistance technology and industrial IoT hardware. On-device artificial intelligence processing is also part of what $QCOM builds into its chips.

The licensing arm, Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL), grants rights to use patents that the description calls essential to manufacturing wireless products. Companies producing 3G, 4G or 5G hardware often need access to that portfolio to bring their devices to market.

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Common questions

How can I invest in semiconductor stocks in Australia?

All ten stocks in this list are U.S.-listed, so you'd buy them through a share trading platform with access to U.S. markets. You search by ticker, place orders in U.S. dollars, and the AUD/USD exchange rate affects both what you pay to buy and the Australian dollar value of what you hold. U.S.-listed semiconductor ETFs are another route – they hold a diversified mix of companies in the industry through a single trade.

What are the key risks of semiconductor stocks?

The sector is cyclical – demand can swing sharply as customers build or draw down inventory, compressing revenue quickly when the cycle turns. Technology risk runs alongside that: chip architectures and manufacturing processes evolve fast, requiring sustained R&D investment to stay competitive. $TSM is headquartered in Taiwan, making geopolitical risk in the region directly relevant to this list. And because all ten stocks trade in USD, movements in the AUD/USD rate shape the Australian dollar value of any position.

What are the different types of semiconductor companies in this list?

The ten stocks represent several distinct roles in the chip industry. $TSM is a pure-play foundry – it manufactures chips to specifications set by other companies rather than selling its own branded products. $ASML operates one step further back, making the lithography machines that foundries use to print circuits onto silicon. The rest of the list includes chip designers that outsource manufacturing ($NVDA, $AMD, $QCOM), a memory specialist in $MU, and analog and mixed-signal chip makers in $TXN and $ADI. $AVGO combines chip design with infrastructure software, and $INTC both designs and manufactures its own chips.

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Disclaimer

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. When you invest, your capital is at risk. You should consider your own investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making an investment decision. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may receive back less than your original investment. As always, do your own research and consider seeking appropriate financial advice before investing.

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