Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) stock fell nearly 2% in Wednesday’s premarket session as investors pulled back from large-cap technology and semiconductor stocks. Nasdaq futures declined 0.86%, while S&P 500 futures lost 0.29%, reflecting a broader risk-off mood.
Large-cap semiconductor and AI-related stocks often face increased selling pressure when investors shift away from higher-growth names.
Five Cloud Groups Urge EU To Impose Interim Measures Against Broadcom
Separately, five cloud industry groups have urged European Union antitrust regulators to impose interim measures against Broadcom while they investigate changes to VMware’s cloud service provider ecosystem following Broadcom’s 2023 acquisition of the company, Reuters reported.
The Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), along with Belgium’s Beltug, France’s Cigref, Germany’s VOICE and CIO Platform Nederland, asked EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen to suspend some Broadcom business practices and provide a transition period of at least three years during the investigation, according to Reuters.
The groups alleged Broadcom imposed steep price increases on VMware users and excluded thousands of providers from deploying and purchasing the virtualization platform. “We therefore urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to act swiftly and impose interim measures now,” they said in a joint letter cited by Reuters.
Broadcom rejected the allegations, saying CISPE is funded by hyperscalers that misrepresent the realities of the market. The European Commission confirmed it had received the letter, Reuters reported.
Technical Picture Remains Mixed
Broadcom remains in a long-term uptrend despite a recent pullback.
The stock is trading about 5.5% below its 50-day simple moving average of $401.48 but remains roughly 4.2% above its 200-day simple moving average of $364.13. That suggests the longer-term trend is intact, although the medium-term outlook has weakened.
Momentum indicators also point to a balanced market. Broadcom’s relative strength index stands at 49.82, indicating neither overbought nor oversold conditions.
The moving averages present mixed signals. The 20-day simple moving average remains below the 50-day average, reflecting near-term weakness. However, the 50-day average continues to trade above the 200-day average, preserving the longer-term bullish trend established earlier this year.
Technical traders may view $414.50 as the next resistance level near the 50-day moving average. Meanwhile, $370.50 serves as an important support area just above the 200-day moving average.
Broadcom Analysts Remain Bullish
The stock trades at about 64.3 times earnings, reflecting its premium valuation. Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating with an average price forecast of $513.68. Recent analyst actions include:
- Erste Group: Downgraded to Hold (July 7)
- UBS: Buy (Lowers forecast to $485.00) (June 4)
- B of A Securities: Buy (Raises forecast to $530.00) (June 4)
Benzinga Edge Ratings
Benzinga Edge assigns Broadcom a Bullish Momentum score of 74.85 and a Bullish Quality score of 95.91. The stock receives a Neutral Value score of 6.7 and a Weak Growth score of 25.06.
The ratings suggest Broadcom continues to benefit from strong business fundamentals, although its premium valuation could make the shares more sensitive during periods of weaker market sentiment.
Broadcom ETF Exposure
Broadcom remains a top holding in several technology-focused exchange-traded funds, including the First Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund (NASDAQ:TDIV), the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) and the FT Vest Technology Dividend Target Income ETF (NASDAQ:TDVI), each with an allocation of about 9.2%.
Because of Broadcom’s large weighting, significant ETF inflows or outflows can influence demand for the stock.
AVGO Price Action
AVGO Stock Price Activity: Broadcom shares were down 1.99% at $378.79 during premarket trading on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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