Arm Holdings, the UK-based chip design company, made its Nasdaq debut on Thursday, resulting in a staggering 25% increase in its stock price. This surge lifted Arm’s fully diluted market cap to nearly $68 billion, a valuation that seems excessively high for a semiconductor company that generated a modest $400 million in profit over the past four quarters. In comparison, this places Arm at a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of close to 170, dwarfing even the P/E ratio of Nvidia, a highly successful graphics processing units (GPUs) manufacturer. While investors may be captivated by such significant gains, it poses a head-scratching conundrum for Wall Street as the valuation appears unjustified given Arm’s growth rate and performance in the industry.
While Nvidia’s stock price has more than tripled this year, yielding a P/E ratio of 109, Arm’s P/E ratio appears astronomical in comparison. The critical difference lies in their respective growth rates. Nvidia recently reported a doubling of revenue in the latest quarter and foresees a 170% expansion in the upcoming period, driven by increased spending on AI chips by major cloud companies. In contrast, Arm experienced a slight contraction in revenue during the last quarter. Consequently, justifying a P/E ratio exceeding 100 for a company with no growth potential seems impossible according to Jay Ritter, finance professor at the University of Florida. He emphasizes the necessity for Arm to develop new designs that will revitalize growth and generate profits.
Limited Open Market and SoftBank’s Play
At present, there is a small open market for Arm’s stock due to SoftBank’s majority ownership. SoftBank took Arm private in 2016, and the Japanese tech conglomerate currently owns 90% of the outstanding shares. By offering a portion of Arm’s shares to strategic investors such as Apple, Google, Nvidia, Samsung, and Intel, SoftBank seeks to recover some liquidity after a challenging period of investments. Although a few shares will circulate among institutional and retail investors and traders, Thursday’s trading volume was substantial enough to position Arm as the fifth most actively traded stock on the Nasdaq.
Investors considering long-term involvement in Arm need to base their decision on the company’s growth prospects. Arm argues that its technology will play a central role in the transition to AI-based computing, as its designs are widely used in smartphones, electric cars, and data centers. Arm’s CEO, Rene Haas, highlights the significant growth potential in the cloud data center and automotive sectors, as well as the increasing prevalence of AI devices built on Arm technology. In its IPO filing, Arm projected a remarkable increase in the addressable market for its designs, reaching $246.6 billion by 2025. However, the growth rate of 6.8% annually suggests that Arm’s path to prosperity lies in market share gains and improved economics, rather than rapid industry expansion.
Unique Factors and Profit Margins
One bullish case for Arm centers on its ability to maintain strong profit margins even amidst a slight revenue decline. Arm’s gross margin for fiscal 2023 stood at an impressive 96%, primarily due to its reliance on royalties rather than hardware sales. In contrast, Nvidia’s gross margin in the latest quarter was 70%. This significant difference can be attributed to Arm’s strategic position and the ubiquity of its technology in key products. By not operating as a commodity company, Arm stands out in the chip industry. Consequently, calculating a multiple on future earnings is not a simple task, according to Matt Oguz, founding partner of Venture Science.
Arm’s Nasdaq debut stirred excitement in the market, with its stock price skyrocketing. However, this enthusiasm may not be entirely justified, given the company’s modest profit margins and recent revenue decline. Unlike Nvidia, which boasts impressive growth rates and a solid P/E ratio, Arm must prove its ability to innovate and generate profits. To succeed in the long run, Arm aims to capitalize on its strong market position and expand its share in the chip industry, despite projected modest growth. While there may be potential for Arm’s stock to soar, investors must acknowledge the level of risk involved and carefully evaluate the company’s potential for sustainable growth and profitability.