Chip Stock Investor Podcast

Nicholas Rossolillo; Kasey Rossolillo
  • 4.6 (14)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Semiconductors are the heart of the modern economy. These small devices that manipulate the flow of electricity run everything from our PCs and smartphones to our cars to manufacturing. The semiconductor industry is at an inflection point of renewed growth, powering new movements like generative AI and electric vehicles. The Chip Stock Investor Podcast explores how semiconductors work, and especially the business of chips. Follow Nicholas and Kasey to learn how chip technology has become the engine of the world, and how to invest in its growth.

  1. 1d ago

    Intel's Packaging Edge: EMIB, Foveros vs. TSMC CoWoS

    Intel's recent rally has investors asking whether the turnaround is real, but the answer may have less to do with wafer manufacturing and more to do with advanced packaging. We break down EMIB (Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge) and Foveros, Intel's chip-to-chip interconnect technologies, and compare them directly against TSMC's CoWoS-S, CoWoS-R, and CoWoS-L packaging families. We explain the technical differences in plain language, including interposers, redistribution layers, local silicon interconnects, and through-silicon vias, and why Intel's substrate-embedded bridge approach could offer a real diversification opportunity as AI shifts from training to inference workloads. We also cover Intel's packaging partnerships, including the Google TPU relationship, and why Nvidia's dominance in AI training leaves TSMC's CoWoS capacity fully booked, potentially opening a lane for Intel elsewhere. Finally, we zoom out to portfolio strategy: why understanding the technology layer matters less as this AI bull market matures, and why valuation discipline and balance sheet health deserve more of your attention going forward. Semi Insider members get access to CSI's research platform, tools, and deeper research as it happens. Join at chipstockinvestor.com. This content is for general information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute individual investment advice. Forecasts may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategy discussed will be successful. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. CSI does not own shares of Intel.

  2. 5d ago

    Solstice's $4.5B Element Solutions Deal: Why It Sold Off

    Solstice Advanced Materials is acquiring Element Solutions (NYSE: ESI) in a $4.5 billion deal that would create a combined semiconductor and electronics materials supplier generating close to $8 billion in annual revenue, and the market didn't love it. Here's what the numbers actually say. We break down the acquisition terms, including why ESI shareholders are receiving $10 in cash plus 0.5 shares of Solstice stock for every share owned, and the projected 26% adjusted EBITDA margin after cost synergies. We dig into both companies' individual balance sheets, free cash flow trends, and revenue mix, including advanced packaging materials, refrigerants, data center cooling, and nuclear services, to explain why the market reacted negatively despite the strategic logic. We also compare this consolidation trend to peer Entegris (ENTG) and the broader semiconductor supply chain materials space heading into 2026. If you're tracking semiconductor cycle recovery, foundry demand, or fabless supply chain exposure, this merger matters more than the initial stock reaction suggests. Semi Insider members get access to CSI's research platform, tools, and deeper research as it happens. Join at chipstockinvestor.com. Get 15% off your membership at fiscal.ai/csi. This content is for general information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute individual investment advice. Forecasts may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategy discussed will be successful. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. CSI does not own shares of Solstice or Element Solutions.

  3. 6d ago

    Hyperscaler CapEx Hits $800B: Why Memory & Optical Stocks Are Booming

    Hyperscaler capital expenditure is on pace to hit $800 billion in 2026, up from $482 billion just a few quarters ago, and the trajectory points toward $1 trillion by 2027. This is the real driver behind the 2026 semiconductor cycle, especially the strength in memory and optical stocks, and it matters more than any single quarterly earnings beat. We break down why this AI data center buildout is the primary macro force behind the current cycle, why the "rotation out of tech" narrative that surfaced in early July doesn't hold up under scrutiny, and how hyperscaler free cash flow and balance sheet strength can sustain this spending for years. We also look beyond semis to power, grid, and construction names benefiting from the buildout, and what happens to hyperscaler margins if CapEx growth eventually slows. Data and charts referenced in this episode are sourced from fiscal.ai. If you're building a diversified semiconductor and AI infrastructure portfolio, understanding the hyperscaler CapEx cycle is essential to tracking where this cycle goes next. Semi Insider members get access to CSI's research platform, tools, and deeper research as it happens. Join at chipstockinvestor.com. Get 15% off your membership at fiscal.ai/csi. This content is for general information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute individual investment advice. Forecasts may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategy discussed will be successful. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. CSI owns shares of Amazon, Meta, & Google.

  4. Jul 14

    Qualcomm Is Quietly Becoming an AI Data Center Stock

    Qualcomm just held its 2026 Investor Day, and the headline number is a new $15 billion AI data center revenue target for 2029 — up from essentially zero two years ago. We break down whether this fabless smartphone-royalty giant can actually pull off a pivot into AI data centers. We cover the AlphaWave Semiconductor acquisition and why Arm-based data center networking IP matters to hyperscaler customers, Qualcomm's 3D-stacked silicon packaging approach designed to work around the high bandwidth memory bottleneck amid the 2026 memory shortage, and the Modular acquisition — an AI-native software platform positioned as a potential CUDA alternative. On fundamentals, we walk through the revenue mix as smartphone growth slows to a 5% CAGR following the Apple wind-down, and why automotive and IoT are beating original targets. We close with a reverse DCF on the ~$190 stock price to see how much growth is already priced in, and why QCOM still holds a place in our portfolio as a diversified, value-oriented semiconductor stock. Content is for general information and entertainment only, not individual investment advice. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. CSI owns shares of Qualcomm. Semi Insider members get full access to our research platform and tools. Join at chipstockinvestor.com.

  5. Jul 10

    IBM NanoStack CFET: Turning Patents Into Chip Royalties

    IBM just unveiled NanoStack, its take on the CFET transistor architecture that succeeds gate-all-around as the next step in chip scaling — and it could turn IBM's patent portfolio into a real semiconductor royalty business. IBM claims NanoStack delivers up to a 50% jump in compute performance or a 70% gain in energy efficiency versus its 2021 two-nanometer IP. IBM sold its chip manufacturing business to GlobalFoundries back in 2015, yet it still holds one of the largest patent portfolios in the industry, and IP licensing and custom development income made up nearly 10% of IBM's GAAP net income in 2025. We break down IBM's 2025 revenue, R&D spend, and licensing income, then identify who benefits most across the supply chain, including ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and Screen Holdings as advanced lithography, etch, deposition, and wafer-cleaning suppliers to Rapidus, the Japanese foundry startup aiming to ramp production by 2027. This is part of our ongoing coverage of the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and the next 15 years of chip advancement. Full research is available for members at Semiconductor Insider — join at chipstockinvestor.com. Get 15% off your membership with our link: fiscal.ai/csi Content in this video is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal.

  6. Jul 7

    Jensen Called Marvell a $1T Stock — We're Not Buying It

    Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) stock has surged since Jensen Huang called it the next trillion-dollar company — we ran a reverse DCF on the Q1 FY2027 earnings to see if the rally is justified. Marvell just posted record Q1 fiscal 2027 results, with revenue up 28% year-over-year to $2.4 billion and guidance pointing to 35% growth next quarter. As a fabless chip designer and IP licenser, Marvell is riding two major tailwinds: hyperscaler demand for custom AI chips (ASICs and XPUs) and networking systems that interconnect GPUs across data centers, including a growing partnership with NVIDIA via NVLink. We break down the earnings report, the CFO transition to Dan Durn (formerly of Adobe and Applied Materials), the balance sheet impact of the Celestial AI acquisition, and rising share dilution from recent deals. Then we run a reverse discounted cash flow analysis on Marvell at its current price to determine what growth rate is already priced in, and whether the semiconductor cycle and AI infrastructure buildout can realistically support it. If you're weighing whether Marvell is still a buy after this rally, or looking for better value elsewhere in the semiconductor supply chain, this one's for you. Semi Insider members get access to our full research platform and tools, plus deeper research as it happens. Join at chipstockinvestor.com. Get 15% off your Fiscal.ai membership with our link: fiscal.ai/csi Content in this video is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal.CSI doesn't own shares of Marvell.

  7. Jul 4

    Memory & Optical Stocks Up 100%+ in 2026: Why We're Not Selling (Micron, SK Hynix, SanDisk, Lumentum)

    Memory and optical semiconductor stocks have been the standout trade of 2026, with holdings like Micron, SK Hynix, and SanDisk up well over 100% year-to-date on tight supply and rising pricing. In this mid-year portfolio review, we break down six months of real performance across our memory holdings (Micron, SK Hynix, SanDisk, Western Digital, Seagate, NVE Corp, GSI Technology) and optical networking positions (Lumentum, Coherent, Applied Optoelectronics, Broadcom, Viavi Networks), explain why we're maintaining our allocation despite outsized gains, and walk through the risk management conversation every investor should be having right now. We also dig into the looming supply-side risk from CXMT's IPO in China, how the "Fab Five" equipment makers (ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, KLA) and Chinese players like ACM Research fit into the memory cycle, and why Lumentum and Coherent remain our top optical picks for the second half of 2026, backed by NVIDIA's direct investment in both companies. This is a research-backed, data-driven portfolio update built for long-term fundamental semiconductor investors — not stock picking hype. Join Semi Insider for full access to our research platform and tools at https://chipstockinvestor.com. Get 15% off your membership with our data partner Fiscal.ai: https://fiscal.ai/csi. Content is for general information and entertainment only and is not investment advice. CSI owns shares of the companies discussed.

  8. Jul 2

    Cybersecurity & Capital Allocation: Is Rubrik (RBRK) a Buy?

    Rubrik (RBRK) stock is down near $70 after peaking above $89 — but its subscription ARR is still growing over 30%. Here's the reverse DCF and margin math behind why the recovery has stalled. Rubrik (NYSE: RBRK) is one of the smaller names in the cybersecurity sector, operating in the data storage and backup security niche — a category distinct from network security players like Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, or endpoint security leaders like CrowdStrike. In this excerpt from our Semiconductor Insider Live session, Nick and Kasey Rossolillo break down why Rubrik has lagged the broader cybersecurity recovery even as subscription ARR growth stays above 30% and reported revenue grows nearly 40% year-over-year. We dig into the free cash flow story to explain why it has stalled sequentially even as it grows year-over-year. We also explore what that margin compression means for a smaller, AI-infrastructure-dependent company, and how Rubrik's balance sheet ($1.7B cash vs. $1.1B long-term debt) holds up. Finally, we run a reverse discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis to see what growth assumptions are baked into the current stock price and discuss how small and mid-cap software stocks fit into a diversified, long-term portfolio strategy. This is educational content for self-directed investors evaluating semiconductor-adjacent software and cybersecurity plays in 2026. Join Semi Insider: Get access to CSI's research platform, tools, and deeper research as it happens at chipstockinvestor.com Special Discount: Get 15% off your membership with our special link: fiscal.ai/csi Related Episode: We called this back in June — Listen/Watch here If you found this episode useful, please make sure to follow the podcast and leave us a rating! Let us know in the Spotify Q&A below: Do you think Rubrik's margin compression is temporary, or a longer-term concern? Content in this podcast is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Rubrik.

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4.6
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Semiconductors are the heart of the modern economy. These small devices that manipulate the flow of electricity run everything from our PCs and smartphones to our cars to manufacturing. The semiconductor industry is at an inflection point of renewed growth, powering new movements like generative AI and electric vehicles. The Chip Stock Investor Podcast explores how semiconductors work, and especially the business of chips. Follow Nicholas and Kasey to learn how chip technology has become the engine of the world, and how to invest in its growth.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicholas Rossolillo; Kasey Rossolillo
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    463
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicholas Rossolillo; Kasey Rossolillo
  • Show Website
    Chip Stock Investor Podcast

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