December 27, 2025
Finance

Advanced Micro Devices Eyes Robust Growth in 2026 Backed by Regulatory Shift

Potential easing of export controls under President Trump's directive may drive significant revenue expansion for AMD

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Summary

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) demonstrated strong performance in 2025, achieving a substantial revenue increase despite challenges posed by export restrictions. A recent policy change allowing the sale of advanced AI chips to China may unlock additional growth in 2026. This analysis explores AMD's current position, the impact of regulatory changes, and the company's prospects for next year.

Key Points

AMD's stock rose 78% during 2025 before dropping 19% from its October high as some investors took profits.
The company projected 2025 revenue of $34 billion, a 31% increase over 2024 despite export restrictions to China.
China accounted for nearly 25% of AMD's 2024 revenue, approximately $6.2 billion, making export restrictions a significant headwind.
Analysts expect AMD's 2025 earnings per share to reach $3.97 and forecast a 62% increase to $6.46 in 2026.
President Trump's recent announcement allows companies like AMD to resume shipping advanced AI chips to China, potentially restoring lost revenue streams.
AMD previously sold downgraded AI processors to China; the regulatory change may permit sales of higher-end chips with premium pricing.
Projected 2026 revenue could reach $44.6 billion, or $51 billion if Chinese revenue rebounds to prior levels.
Applying AMD's price-to-sales ratio implies a possible 60% increase in market capitalization by the end of 2026.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has experienced notable growth during 2025, with stock gains reaching 78% year to date prior to a recent pullback. Despite this strong performance, the share price declined by 19% from a 52-week high at the end of October, suggesting some investors are realizing profits.

This decline may present an advantageous entry point for investors interested in a rapidly expanding semiconductor firm capitalizing on the rising adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. A pivotal development influencing AMD’s outlook is a directive from President Donald Trump permitting companies such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel to resume sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese customers, potentially bolstering revenues in 2026.

Looking back at 2025, AMD projected revenues of approximately $34 billion, marking a 31% increase over the previous year’s $25.8 billion. Growth was hindered during the year by an inability to export high-end AI data center chips to China due to export controls introduced by the Trump administration in April. These restrictions resulted in an $800 million inventory charge recorded in the second quarter and a loss of significant business from a market that previously accounted for nearly a quarter of AMD’s total revenue.

Analyst projections anticipate AMD’s earnings per share to reach $3.97 in 2025, representing a 20% increase. Expectations for 2026 are even more optimistic, with consensus forecasts suggesting a 62% rise to $6.46 per share. Given the potentially expanded market access, the company may exceed these targets.

This optimism stems partly from analogous developments involving competitor Nvidia. The Trump administration’s recent allowance for Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 chips to China, replacing lower-powered variants previously permitted under export rules, anticipates a considerable revenue boost even after applying a 25% export tax. President Trump indicated that similar terms would apply to AMD, opening the possibility for the semiconductor company to sell its higher-performance chips rather than the downgraded MI308 models currently offered to Chinese customers.

If AMD capitalizes on the ability to export full-featured data center graphics processing units to China with the attendant premium over lesser chip versions, the revenue impact could be notable despite the imposed export fees. This could facilitate a substantial recovery of lost business and acceleration of top-line growth.

Forecasts for 2026 project AMD’s revenue increasing by 31% to $44.6 billion. However, if revenue from China returns to the 2024 level of approximately $6.2 billion, total revenue for 2026 may approach $51 billion. It is significant that current analyst revenue estimates may not fully factor in the impact of the export control relaxation.

Applying AMD’s current price-to-sales ratio of 11 to a potential $51 billion revenue suggests a market capitalization near $561 billion, implying a 60% upside from present valuation levels. The recent decline in AMD’s stock price could therefore represent a timely opportunity for investors to gain exposure ahead of this anticipated growth trajectory in the semiconductor sector.

Risks
  • Export controls currently impose a 25% tax on sales of AI chips to China, impacting profit margins.
  • Export restrictions caused an $800 million inventory charge in Q2 2025, illustrating supply chain and sales risks.
  • Analyst revenue forecasts for 2026 may not yet fully incorporate effects of regulatory changes, introducing estimation uncertainty.
  • The ability to regain full Chinese market access depends on implementation details and compliance with new export rules.
  • AMD's stock price volatility may reflect shifting investor sentiment regarding growth prospects and geopolitical factors.
  • Competitive dynamics with other semiconductor firms like Nvidia could influence AMD's market share and pricing power.
  • Potential changes in U.S. trade policies could reimpose limitations affecting AMD's Chinese sales.
  • Reliance on the Chinese market for a significant portion of revenue may pose geopolitical risk and exposure to regulatory shifts.
Disclosure
The analysis is based solely on information available as of the end of 2025 and does not account for developments beyond that period or speculative outcomes.
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