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Broadcom Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 December 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 4 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and EPS rose: GAAP net income was $8,518 million, up 97%, and GAAP diluted EPS $1.74 versus $0.90. Non-GAAP net income was $9,714 million, up 39%, and non-GAAP diluted EPS $1.95 versus $1.42. Source
  • Semiconductor solutions grew 35 percent: Semiconductor solutions revenue was $11,072 million, 61% of the quarter, up from $8,230 million. Full-year semiconductor revenue was $36,858 million, up 22%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA reached 68 percent of revenue: Adjusted EBITDA was 68% of revenue in the quarter, up from 67% reported for the third quarter. Source
  • AI revenue growth rose to 74 percent: AI semiconductor revenue grew 74% in the fourth quarter, up from 63% growth to $5.2 billion reported for the third quarter.
  • Revenue compared with prior guidance: Fourth-quarter revenue of $18,015 million compared with the approximately $17.4 billion guidance given in the third-quarter release.
  • Free cash flow was 41 percent of revenue: Cash from operations of $7,703 million, less $237 million of capital expenditures, gave $7,466 million of free cash flow, up 36% from a year earlier. Source

“In Q4, record revenue of $18.0 billion grew 28% year-over-year, driven primarily by AI semiconductor revenue increasing 74% year-over-year”

Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc.

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFirst quarter fiscal 2026approximately $19.1 billionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFirst quarter fiscal 202667 percent of projected revenueKept
AI semiconductor revenue SourceFirst quarter fiscal 2026$8.2 billion, double the prior-year amountNew
Diluted share count SourceFirst quarter fiscal 20264,902 million GAAP; 4,969 million non-GAAPNew
Quarterly common stock dividend SourceFiscal year 2026 quarters$0.65 per shareRaised from $0.59 per share
Annual common stock dividend target SourceFiscal year 2026$2.60 per shareNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter fiscal 2026 guidance for revenue and Adjusted EBITDA was provided; the prior release gave fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 guidance. Source
  • Guidance raised: Quarterly common stock dividend raised 10% from the prior quarter to $0.65 per share. Source
  • New: A fiscal 2026 annual dividend target of $2.60 per share was set; the prior release did not state an annual target. Source
  • Guidance kept: Adjusted EBITDA guidance as a share of projected revenue stayed at 67 percent, the same level as the prior quarter's guidance. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and EPS rose: GAAP net income was $8,518 million, up 97%, and GAAP diluted EPS $1.74 versus $0.90. Non-GAAP net income was $9,714 million, up 39%, and non-GAAP diluted EPS $1.95 versus $1.42. Source
  • Full-year revenue rose 24 percent: Fiscal 2025 net revenue was $63,887 million, up 24%. GAAP diluted EPS for the year was $4.77 versus $1.23, and non-GAAP diluted EPS was $6.82 versus $4.87. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 34 percent: Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA was $12,218 million, up from $9,089 million a year earlier, a 34% increase. Cash from operations was $7,703 million. Source

Segment results

  • Semiconductor solutions grew 35 percent: Semiconductor solutions revenue was $11,072 million, 61% of the quarter, up from $8,230 million. Full-year semiconductor revenue was $36,858 million, up 22%. Source
  • Infrastructure software grew 19 percent: Infrastructure software revenue was $6,943 million, 39% of the quarter, up from $5,824 million. Full-year software revenue was $27,029 million, up 26%. Source
  • Both segments rose from third quarter: Against the third quarter, semiconductor solutions rose from $9,166 million and infrastructure software from $6,786 million.

“In fiscal year 2025 adjusted EBITDA increased 35% year-over-year to a record $43.0 billion, and free cash flow was strong at $26.9 billion”

Kirsten Spears, CFO of Broadcom Inc.

Costs and margins

  • Adjusted EBITDA reached 68 percent of revenue: Adjusted EBITDA was 68% of revenue in the quarter, up from 67% reported for the third quarter. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin rose: Non-GAAP gross margin was $14,039 million, against $12,499 million in the third quarter and $10,814 million a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was $12,249 million. Source
  • Tax benefit lifted reported income: The GAAP provision for income taxes was a benefit of $1,649 million. The non-GAAP reconciliation included a one-time non-cash tax benefit of $2.1 billion from statute of limitations lapses. Source
  • GAAP R&D spending rose from a year ago: GAAP research and development expense was $2,981 million, down from $3,050 million in the third quarter and up from $2,234 million a year earlier. Source

AI demand and growth drivers

  • AI revenue growth rose to 74 percent: AI semiconductor revenue grew 74% in the fourth quarter, up from 63% growth to $5.2 billion reported for the third quarter.
  • Revenue compared with prior guidance: Fourth-quarter revenue of $18,015 million compared with the approximately $17.4 billion guidance given in the third-quarter release.
  • Custom accelerators and switches drive AI: The CEO named custom AI accelerators and Ethernet AI switches as the drivers of expected first-quarter AI semiconductor revenue. Source

“We see the momentum continuing in Q1 and expect AI semiconductor revenue to double year-over-year to $8.2 billion”

Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc.

Cash flow and cash balance

  • Free cash flow was 41 percent of revenue: Cash from operations of $7,703 million, less $237 million of capital expenditures, gave $7,466 million of free cash flow, up 36% from a year earlier. Source
  • Cash balance rose in the quarter: Cash and cash equivalents were $16,178 million at quarter end, versus $10,718 million at the prior quarter-end, a $5,460 million increase. Source
  • Full-year operating cash flow rose 38 percent: Full-year cash from operations was $27,537 million, up from $19,962 million. Full-year capital expenditures were $623 million. Source

Shareholder returns

  • Dividend of $2.8 billion paid: On September 30, 2025 the company paid a $0.59 per share cash dividend, totaling $2,797 million. Source
  • No program buybacks in the quarter: The cash flow statement shows no repurchases under the repurchase program in the fourth quarter. Full-year repurchases were $2,450 million, against $7,176 million in fiscal 2024. Source
  • Tax-withholding repurchases fell: Shares repurchased for tax withholdings on vesting of equity awards were nil in the fourth quarter and $3,860 million for the full year, against $5,216 million in fiscal 2024. Source

Balance sheet and debt

  • Long-term debt was lower year over year: Long-term debt was $61,984 million at fiscal year-end, against $66,295 million a year earlier and $62,830 million at August 3, 2025. Short-term debt was $3,152 million. Source
  • Receivables rose from a year ago: Trade accounts receivable were $7,145 million, up from $4,416 million a year earlier and $6,494 million in the third quarter. Inventory was $2,270 million. Source
  • Intangible assets fell year over year: Intangible assets, net were $32,273 million, down from $40,583 million a year earlier, while goodwill was $97,801 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 December 2025

  • Dividend payment date: The $0.65 quarterly dividend is payable December 31, 2025, to holders of record at the close of business on December 22, 2025. Source
  • First-quarter fiscal 2026 period ends: Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance covers the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ends February 1, 2026. Source

In management's words

“The target fiscal year 2026 annual common stock dividend of $2.60 per share is a record, and the fifteenth consecutive increase in annual dividends since we initiated dividends in fiscal 2011”

Kirsten Spears, CFO of Broadcom Inc.

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin (non-GAAP) Source$14,039 million in the quarter
AI semiconductor revenue (end-market) Sourceup 74% year over year

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release cited a commitment to return excess cash to shareholders through cash dividends; this release does not restate it.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.