We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Technology Stocks to Invest In for the Long Term.In this article, we are going to take a look at where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) stands against the other technology stocks.
On January 1, King Lip, BakerAvenue Wealth Management's chief strategist and partner, joined CNBC's 'Closing Bell' to discuss market outlooks as we enter 2025. His focus was on the impressive performance of tech stocks in 2024, with expectations for a second consecutive year of double-digit gains. Lip was against the prevailing sentiment among investors that big tech has peaked and that funds should rotate into smaller stocks or other themes. He argued that the recent weakness in the tech sector is largely due to technical rebalancing rather than a fundamental downturn. He emphasized that cash is likely to flow back into leading tech stocks, as they are projected to deliver the highest earnings growth in 2025, with an anticipated earnings increase of over 20%.
Discussing high valuations in the tech sector, particularly for large-cap stocks trading at forward earnings multiples between 32 and 35 times, Lip countered that many valuations remain within one standard deviation of their historical norms over the past decade. He pointed out that the MAG7 have consistently provided strong returns and are well-positioned for future growth. Lip identified Broadcom as a top stock, praising its management under Hock Tan and its unique role in the market as a provider of custom AI chips. He noted that the company operates at a lower earnings multiple while benefiting from substantial growth.
Lip also discussed Palantir, which has garnered attention for its profitability and positive cash flow since becoming profitable two years ago; despite its high valuation exceeding 50 times revenue, he believes it is well-positioned to benefit from government spending cuts and AI initiatives. While acknowledging concerns about insider selling and high valuations for the company, Lip remains optimistic about its future potential, suggesting it could be more appealing if it drops to the mid-$60 range.
Lip is bullish on tech stocks in 2025 that will be driven by strong earnings growth and ongoing investments in AI infrastructure. The NASDAQ 100 index has performed remarkably well, achieving a return of 27% in 2024 following a staggering 53.8% return in 2023. This reflects a broader trend where major tech companies have outperformed traditional indices significantly, and with that being acknowledged, we're here with a list of the 12 best technology stocks to invest in for the long term.
Methodology
To identify the best long-term tech stocks according to media, we sifted through financial media reports and watched Wall Street analysts' appearances on the news. We compiled a preliminary list of 25 stocks first and then selected 12 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSM) Hottest Mega-Cap Stock of 2025?
A close-up of a complex network of integrated circuits used in logic semiconductors.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 158
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is a chipmaker that supplies chips to leading tech companies like Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and AMD. With its advanced 2nm technology and leadership in 3nm, 5nm, and 7nm chip production, it maintains its dominance in the semiconductor industry, especially in AI and high-performance computing.
The company holds over 60% of the market share. This, together with the current industry supply constraints, gives it pricing power. It reported a 39% year-over-year revenue increase in Q3 2024 which was attributed to the rising demand for AI-related hardware. Its advanced manufacturing capabilities, including its CoWoS packaging technology crucial for AI chips, position it at the forefront of semiconductor innovation.
ClearBridge All Cap Growth Strategy recently added Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) to its portfolio, recognizing its role as the leading foundry for major chipmakers. It stated the following regarding in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“While the Strategy continues to have a significant position in Nvidia, we are underweight semiconductors versus the benchmark. We added to our semiconductor positioning during the quarter with the purchase of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM). TSM, an out-of-benchmark name, is the world’s fabrication production provider of choice. The criticality and sophistication of its manufacturing footprint powers all of the leading edge fabless global semiconductor companies, including Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm, AMD and Broadcom. While AI has driven upside in data centers, PCs and handsets are at cycle lows, positioning half of the company’s business for a recovery.”
Overall TSM ranks 6th on our list of the best technology stocks to invest in for the long term. As we acknowledge the growth potential of TSM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
