The information provided on EL7.AI is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
The information provided on EL7.AI is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
| Factor | Score | Distribution | Value | Avg | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valuation | 15 | — | 20.8x | Bottom tier | |
Growth | 44 | 50.5% | 6.1% | Around median | |
Quality | 32 | -17.8% | 6.6% | Bottom tier | |
Safety | 61 | — | 0.7x | Around median | |
Capital Return | 48 | — | 2.02% | Around median | |
Momentum | 90 | 464.6% | 4.1% | Top tier | |
Sentiment | 79 | 7 | 3 | Top tier |
Estimates — analyst targets and a simplified DCF, not investment advice.
Ten ratios that matter, each compared against its sector median and average — so you can see whether a number is rich or cheap relative to peers in the same sector.
MaxLinear (MXL) is a leading provider of integrated radio-frequency, analog, and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions. The company primarily generates its revenue from designing and selling chips and platforms for broadband and connectivity markets, and increasingly for data center infrastructure. The company has recently transformed into an infrastructure-focused entity, capitalizing on the accelerating demand for AI-centric infrastructures through its innovative products such as Keystone PAM4 digital signal processors and Panther storage accelerators.
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, the company reported total revenue of $137.2 million, a 43% year-over-year increase compared to $95.5 million in the first quarter of 2025. The infrastructure segment led the revenue mix, generating $63 million with a 136% growth, followed by the broadband segment with $44 million, connectivity with $19 million, and multiple industrial markets with $12 million. Despite this strong revenue growth, the company recorded a net loss of $45.1 million, with a loss per share of $0.52, while the gross margin according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) reached 57.5%.
Looking ahead, management provided financial guidance for the second quarter of 2026, expecting to achieve revenues ranging between $160 million and $170 million, reflecting continued momentum in optical data center interconnects. The company expects the GAAP gross margin to range between 56% and 59%, amid supply chain constraint challenges that prompted the company to make significant upfront payments to secure silicon wafers and meet the anticipated growing demand in the second half of the year.
MaxLinear shares currently trade without a positive price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple due to the company reporting net losses in recent periods, reflecting the transformation and growth phase it is undergoing. However, the analyst consensus maintains a buy recommendation with an average price target of $87.5, reflecting optimism about the success of the data center infrastructure pivot. The stock's valuation heavily depends on the company's ability to execute its optical digital signal processor production plans to achieve profitability, with analyst targets varying widely between a low target of $40 and a high target of $120.
Figures in the text are as of 2026-07-24; the live price is shown at the top of the page.
The growth in the infrastructure segment is primarily due to strong demand for optical data center interconnects, which led to a 136% year-over-year revenue increase in the first quarter of 2026 to reach $63 million. The main catalyst is the rapid deployment of 400G and 800G solutions by hyperscale cloud service providers using the Keystone DSP platform. Management expects this momentum to continue, having raised its full-year 2026 optical data center revenue outlook to range between $150 million and $170 million.
MaxLinear expects the production phases for its 1.6T platforms, including the Rushmore digital signal processor and the Annapurna electrical retimer, to begin in late 2026. Samples of these products are currently being provided to customers, and they are seeing significant interest thanks to the previous success of the Keystone chips. Revenue growth is expected to materially accelerate from this new high-speed cycle throughout 2027.
In the first quarter of 2026, MaxLinear reported net cash used in operating activities of approximately $8.9 million. This cash outflow was primarily driven by significant upfront payments to secure silicon wafer manufacturing capacity. These payments are considered a necessary strategic step to support the growing demand and the anticipated backlog of orders for optical data center products in the second half of the year.
Automated analysis for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
The Panther storage accelerator family is experiencing increasing momentum, winning designs with Tier-1 network equipment and cloud computing service providers. The advantages of these chips in hardware-accelerated data compression and ultra-low latency memory access are gaining high value given the current memory constraints in AI data centers. Based on current customer interactions and the sampling of the next-generation Panther 5, management expects the revenue from this product to at least double in 2026 compared to 2025.