Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) vs Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AVGO | 23.9% revenue growth vs GFS's 0.6% |
| Value | GFS | Lower P/E (25.8x vs 31.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | AVGO | 36.2% net margin vs GFS's 13.0% |
| Stability / Safety | GFS | Beta 1.60 vs AVGO's 1.75, lower leverage |
| Dividends | AVGO | 0.7% yield; 15-year raise streak; GFS pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AVGO | +61.4% vs GFS's +22.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AVGO | 13.5% ROA vs GFS's 5.2%, ROIC 14.9% vs 5.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
GLOBALFOUNDRIES is a semiconductor foundry that manufactures integrated circuits for other companies rather than designing its own chips. It generates revenue primarily from wafer fabrication services — including specialty technologies for automotive, IoT, and communications applications — with contract manufacturing fees from customers like AMD, Qualcomm, and Broadcom. Its competitive advantage lies in being one of the few pure-play foundries with advanced specialty process technologies, particularly in RF, analog, and power semiconductors where it avoids direct competition with TSMC and Samsung in leading-edge nodes.
Broadcom is a semiconductor and infrastructure software company that designs and supplies critical components for data centers, networking, and connectivity. It generates revenue primarily from semiconductor sales (~70%) and infrastructure software licensing (~30%), with key segments including wired infrastructure, wireless communications, and enterprise storage. The company's moat lies in its deep engineering expertise, extensive patent portfolio, and entrenched positions in mission-critical infrastructure where customers face high switching costs.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AVGO leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). GFS leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AVGO is the larger business by revenue, generating $63.9B annually — 9.4x GFS's $6.8B. AVGO is the more profitable business, keeping 36.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to GFS's 13.0%. On growth, AVGO holds the edge at +22.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6.8B | $63.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.1B | $34.2B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $885M | $23.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.0B | $26.9B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +25.2% | +67.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.7% | +39.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +13.0% | +36.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +14.9% | +42.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | 0.0% | +22.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +127.3% | +3.1% |
Valuation Metrics
At 29.9x trailing earnings, GFS trades at a 55% valuation discount to AVGO's 67.0x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, GFS's 12.4x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AVGO's 44.1x.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $26.4B | $1.52T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $26.3B | $1.56T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 29.91x | 66.99x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.83x | 31.10x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.80x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 12.44x | 44.06x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.89x | 23.71x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.21x | 19.08x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 26.19x | 56.29x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AVGO delivers a 28.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $28 in annual profit, vs $7 for GFS. GFS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.14x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AVGO's 0.80x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), GFS scores 7/9 vs AVGO's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +7.4% | +28.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +5.2% | +13.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +5.3% | +14.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +5.6% | +16.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.14x | 0.80x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$171M | $49.0B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.8B | $16.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.6B | $65.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 8.09x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AVGO five years ago would be worth $67,244 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $10,248 for GFS. Over the past 12 months, AVGO leads with a +61.4% total return vs GFS's +22.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AVGO at 76.4% vs GFS's -10.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +29.0% | -8.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.6% | +61.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -27.2% | +448.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +2.5% | +572.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +2.5% | +2389.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -10.1% | +76.4% |
Risk & Volatility
GFS is the less volatile stock with a 1.60 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AVGO's 1.75 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. GFS currently trades 93.3% from its 52-week high vs AVGO's 77.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.60x | 1.75x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $50.98 | $414.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $29.77 | $138.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +93.3% | +77.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.2 | 44.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 3.3M | 21.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates GFS as "Buy" and AVGO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 38.9% upside for AVGO (target: $444) vs 7.5% for GFS (target: $51). AVGO is the only dividend payer here at 0.72% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | GFSGLOBALFOUNDRIES I… | AVGOBroadcom Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $51.14 | $443.72 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 19 | 57 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.7% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 15 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.30 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.4% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Oct 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) | 100 | 90.91 | -9.1% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | 100 | 626.98 | +527.0% |
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) returned +572% over 5 years vs GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS)'s +2%. A $10,000 investment in AVGO 5 years ago would be worth $67,244 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) | $5.8B | $6.8B | +16.8% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | $13.2B | $63.9B | +382.5% |
Broadcom Inc.'s revenue grew from $13.2B (2016) to $63.9B (2025) — a 19.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) | -23.6% | 13.0% | +155.2% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | -13.1% | 36.2% | +375.6% |
Broadcom Inc.'s net margin went from -13% (2016) to 36% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) | 20.6 | 22 | +6.8% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | 61.2 | 72.6 | +18.6% |
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. has traded in a 21x–33x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~30x. Broadcom Inc. has traded in a 9x–189x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~67x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) | -2.66 | 1.59 | +159.8% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | -0.44 | 4.77 | +1184.1% |
Broadcom Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.44 (2016) to $4.77 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (-6% vs 2021). Broadcom Inc. generated $27B FCF in 2025 (+102% vs 2021).
GFS vs AVGO: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is GFS or AVGO a better buy right now?
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) offers the better valuation at 29.9x trailing P/E (25.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) a "Buy" — based on 19 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — GFS or AVGO?
On trailing P/E, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) is the cheapest at 29.9x versus Broadcom Inc. at 67.0x. On forward P/E, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. is actually cheaper at 25.8x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — GFS or AVGO?
Over the past 5 years, Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) delivered a total return of +572.4%, compared to +2.5% for GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS). A $10,000 investment in AVGO five years ago would be worth approximately $67K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AVGO returned +23.9% versus GFS's +2.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — GFS or AVGO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) is the lower-risk stock at 1.60β versus Broadcom Inc.'s 1.75β — meaning AVGO is approximately 10% more volatile than GFS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 14% versus 80% for Broadcom Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — GFS or AVGO?
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) is the more profitable company, earning 36.2% net margin versus 13.0% for GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. — meaning it keeps 36.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AVGO leads at 39.9% versus 11.7% for GFS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AVGO leads at 67.8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is GFS or AVGO more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) trades at 25.8x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Broadcom Inc. — 5.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AVGO: 38.9% to $443.72.
07Which pays a better dividend — GFS or AVGO?
In this comparison, AVGO (0.7% yield) pays a dividend. GFS does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is GFS or AVGO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (0.7% yield). GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS) carries a higher beta of 1.60 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (AVGO: +23.9%, GFS: +2.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between GFS and AVGO?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. AVGO pays a dividend while GFS does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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