MaxLinear MXL and Vicor VICR both stand to benefit from accelerating AI infrastructure spending, but they address different bottlenecks inside the data center. MaxLinear is primarily exposed to the connectivity side of AI infrastructure through high-speed optical and electrical interconnects, while Vicor focuses on power delivery for increasingly power-dense AI processors.
So, MXL or VICR, which is a better buy under the current scenario?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MaxLinear's 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.74 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days. MXL reported earnings of 31 cents per share in 2025.
MaxLinear, Inc price-consensus-chart | MaxLinear, Inc Quote
The consensus mark for VICR's 2026 earnings has been steady at $3.12 per share over the past 30 days and suggests 19.54% growth from the figure reported in 2025.
Vicor Corporation price-consensus-chart | Vicor Corporation Quote
MXL shares have returned 263.9% year to date, outperforming Vicor's appreciation of 85.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Valuation-wise, shares of both MXL and VICR are overvalued. In terms of trailing 12-month EV/sales, MaxLinear shares are trading at 10.21X, lower than Vicor's 18.85X.
Both MaxLinear and Vicor have a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MaxLinear appears better positioned to capture the AI infrastructure boom in the near to medium term. Vicor offers compelling long-term upside from second-generation VPD and has the stronger balance sheet, but its biggest AI catalyst is still moving through development, customer evaluation and eventual production ramps. MXL already has meaningful AI-driven revenues, high-volume hyperscaler deployments and a broader pipeline spanning 800G, 1.6T, electrical scale-up, rack management and storage. The combination of stronger current AI revenue growth and multiple identifiable product ramps through 2027-2028 gives MXL the edge over VICR, albeit with higher customer concentration and balance-sheet risk.
MaxLinear and Vicor currently carry Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).