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Marvell (MRVL) Soars 14% in a Week: What Should Investors Do Now?

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Marvell Technology, Inc.’s (MRVL - Free Report) shares have rallied more than 14% over the past week. This exceeds the broader market's performance, with the S&P 500 and the Zacks Computer and Technology sector rising 3.5% and 4.9%, respectively.

The impressive rise in Marvell’s shares is part of a broader recovery in the market following a sell-off in early August 2024. The market correction was primarily driven by fears of a potential U.S. recession, spurred by concerns over the Federal Reserve's interest rate policies and a disappointing weekly job report.

However, investors have digested the aforementioned negative factors over the past week and see this as a buying opportunity at present. Additionally, a series of stronger-than-expected economic reports released yesterday has helped alleviate the fears.

Notably, robust retail sales data and lower-than-expected weekly jobless claims have provided reassurance regarding the U.S. economy’s resilience (despite the headwinds). These positive indicators have led to a renewed wave of investors’ confidence, fueling the recovery rally in the broader market and contributing to Marvell’s recent surge.

These factors have collectively fueled investors’ optimism, leading to a rally across the semiconductor industry. Shares of major semiconductor companies like NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) , Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) and Micron (MU - Free Report) have surged 17.3%, 9.7% and 14.9%, respectively, over the past week.

The recent performance has caught the attention of investors, raising questions about the sustainability of this rally and the MRVL stock's future performance.

One Week Price Performance

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Long-Term Prospects

Beyond the recent rally, Marvell’s long-term growth prospects remain promising. The company is well-positioned to benefit from the booming artificial intelligence (AI) market. According to Gartner, revenues from AI semiconductors are expected to grow 33% to $71.25 billion in 2024 and another 29% in 2025 to reach $91.96 billion.

Although Marvell's chips don't directly process AI tasks, they play a crucial role in managing and transporting the massive data generated by AI applications. As data centers upgrade with advanced graphic processing units (GPUs) from NVIDIA and AMD to handle AI workloads, the demand for Marvell's data-handling solutions is expected to increase.

Marvell's high-performance electro-optics products, including PAM DSPs and ZR interconnects, are essential for seamless data transmission in AI-enhanced data centers. This positions Marvell as a key supplier as AI drives the need for more sophisticated data infrastructure.

The company's strategic investments in emerging technologies like PCIe Gen 6 retimers and next-generation data center interconnect (DCI) products align with the industry's push to scale data center capacities. These innovations ensure Marvell remains indispensable as AI data traffic grows.

Marvell's focus on custom AI silicon for cloud providers strengthens its market position. The ramp-up of custom AI compute programs is expected to drive mid-single-digit sequential growth in data center revenues in the second quarter of fiscal 2025.

Impressive Long-Term Projections

Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Marvell's long-term prospects. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 indicates a year-over-year increase of 31.5% in revenues and 73% in earnings. Additionally, the long-term earnings growth estimate for Marvell is pegged at 28%, significantly higher than the Zacks Technology Services industry's average growth estimate of 21.3%.

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Near-Term Challenges

While Marvell’s long-term prospects are encouraging, the company faces significant near-term challenges that could impact its performance. One of the most pressing concerns is the U.S. government’s tightening restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.

China represents a substantial market for Marvell, accounting for more than 45% of its total revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. The increasing export controls could lead to a meaningful reduction in sales to Chinese customers, which, in turn, could weigh on Marvell’s overall revenue growth.

In addition to the potential effect on sales, the export restrictions could disrupt Marvell’s supply chain, leading to increased costs and delays in product development. This would be particularly problematic as Marvell competes in an industry where technological innovation and time-to-market are critical to maintaining a competitive edge.

Another concern is Marvell’s lofty valuation as it trades at high multiples relative to its revenues. Currently, its trailing 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio stands at 11.22X compared to the Zacks Technology Services industry’s average of 9.21X.

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Conclusion: Hold for Now

Given the recent rally in Marvell’s share price and the broader market, it might be tempting for investors to consider taking profits or adding to their positions. However, while the long-term outlook for Marvell remains bright, the near-term challenges associated with export restrictions and the stock’s high valuation warrant a more cautious approach.

For existing shareholders, holding onto the stock seems to be the most prudent course of action. The company’s strong positioning in key growth markets like AI and 5G, combined with its strategic investments in emerging technologies, supports the case for long-term growth. However, the near-term risks and elevated valuation suggest that this might not be the best time to buy more shares.

In short, although Marvell’s recent performance has been impressive and its long-term prospects appear bright, the potential for near-term volatility and the current valuation suggest that holding on to the stock would be the best strategy at present. MRVL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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