AVGO vs NTNX: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: AVGO is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. AVGO and NTNX share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined AVGO and NTNX exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Broadcom is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world, plus a major enterprise software business after acquiring VMware in 2023. The semiconductor business has two main pieces. Networking and wireless silicon (Ethernet switches, optical components, custom ASICs for hyperscalers) is critical to AI data centers. Custom silicon (XPUs) for hyperscaler AI accelerators is a major growth driver: Broadcom designs custom AI chips for customers like Google (TPU), Meta (MTIA), and others.

Full AVGO guide

Nutanix is an enterprise software company that pioneered hyperconverged infrastructure, software that combines compute, storage, and virtualization into a single, software-defined platform that runs on commodity hardware or in the cloud. Its core product lets enterprises run private clouds and manage applications across on-premises data centers and public clouds through one consistent operating environment. Nutanix has transitioned from selling hardware appliances to a pure software, subscription-based model, with revenue now recurring and measured in annual contract value and annual recurring revenue. A major opportunity has been the disruption in the virtualization market following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware and subsequent licensing and pricing changes, which has pushed many enterprises to evaluate alternatives like Nutanix's AHV hypervisor and broader cloud platform. Nutanix also offers database management, Kubernetes and container services, and disaster recovery, expanding its platform footprint. After years of losses during its subscription transition, the company has reached positive free cash flow and improving profitability. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Nutanix is a mid-cap enterprise-software company positioned in hybrid and private cloud infrastructure.

Full NTNX guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• AVGO drivers: Custom AI accelerators (XPUs) for hyperscalers; AI networking silicon.
• NTNX drivers: VMware disruption tailwind; Subscription model and recurring revenue.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Customer concentration in custom AI silicon (top customers are Google, Meta, and reportedly OpenAI): a pause or redesign at one hyperscaler would show up quickly in revenue. For NTNX, nutanix competes against far larger players: Broadcom-owned VMware (still entrenched despite disruption), the public-cloud giants (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) that want workloads to move off-premises entirely, and hardware-plus-software stacks from Dell, HPE, and Cisco.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick AVGO if you believe its drivers more; NTNX if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the AVGO and NTNX guides.

AVGO. Broadcom's valuation reflects dominant networking semiconductor positions, fast-growing custom AI silicon revenue, and high-margin enterprise software from VMware. At about 44x trailing GAAP earnings but only about 17x forward estimates, the multiple assumes the steep growth analysts project (consensus EPS of about $19.40 for fiscal 2027) actually arrives. Analysts rate the stock a strong buy with an average target near $528, well above the mid-October price of about $335.

NTNX. At about $66.92 and an $18.1 billion market cap, Nutanix trades near 25 times forward earnings, about 6.3 times trailing sales and roughly 25 times trailing free cash flow, a software multiple that sits between value and growth. The trailing P/E of about 13 is not a fair read, because GAAP net income of about $1.51 billion for fiscal 2026 includes a roughly $1.27 billion fourth quarter that far exceeds operating income. Analysts expect fiscal 2027 revenue near $3.22 billion (about 14% growth), and the mean target of 14 analysts was about $78 as of October 2026, so the stock re-rates with the pace of VMware-replacement wins and margin progress.

Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): AVGO shows revenue (ttm) ~$89.1 billion (combined semis and software); latest quarter up ~85% YoY, operating margin ~54% (gross margin ~76%), net income (ttm) ~$38.3 billion, eps ~$7.59 GAAP (TTM); latest quarter adjusted $3.32 vs ~$3.24 consensus; NTNX shows revenue (fy2026, ended july 2026) ~$2.85B (+~12% YoY), latest quarter revenue (q4 fy2026) ~$757M (+~16% YoY), eps (q4 fy2026 vs estimate) ~$0.60 vs ~$0.49, gross / operating margin (ttm) ~87% / ~13%.

AVGO and NTNX are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined AVGO and NTNX exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.