New York, January 23, 2026, 14:49 EST — Regular session
- Shares of Broadcom dipped in afternoon trading amid a broader wobble in chip stocks.
- Investors are bracing for next week’s Fed decision alongside a packed schedule of megacap tech earnings.
- Broadcom also announced a fresh U.S. government software contract this week.
Broadcom Inc shares fell 1.6% to $320.14 in Friday afternoon trading. The stock swung between $314.19 and $326.90, with roughly 22.2 million shares exchanging hands.
The pullback is significant because chip stocks have shifted back to reacting to macroeconomic factors rather than company-specific news. Next week’s Federal Reserve rate decision, along with a packed earnings schedule from major U.S. tech firms, could reshape investor expectations for growth.
Broadcom straddles that fault line. It sells networking gear and other infrastructure to data centers, alongside a hefty software business. Changes in IT budgets hit its positioning fast.
Intel’s sharp 17.8% drop weighed on Friday’s market action, despite some resilience in big tech names. The chipmaker warned that quarterly revenue and profit would miss estimates, citing difficulties meeting demand for AI data center server chips. By 1:59 p.m. Eastern, the Dow was down 0.68%, the S&P 500 held steady, and the Nasdaq gained 0.33%, Reuters reported. “There is a lot more confidence in being able to put money into other areas outside of artificial intelligence,” said Michael Kantrowitz, chief investment strategist at Piper Sandler. 1
Broadcom highlighted a new OneGov deal this week with the U.S. General Services Administration, targeting “AI-ready software” as part of efforts to accelerate federal IT upgrades. The company said the agreement offers agencies up to a 64% discount on select software through May 2027. It also mentioned “Zero Trust,” a security framework that assumes no inherent trust for users or devices. 2
Rates may be in the background, but their shifts still pack a punch. A Reuters poll out this week showed all surveyed economists expect the Fed to hold rates steady at 3.50%-3.75% during the January 27-28 meeting. “The economic outlook on the surface suggests the Fed should remain on hold,” said Jeremy Schwartz, senior U.S. economist at Nomura. 3
The Fed’s calendar lists its policy meeting for January 27-28, with the decision and statement scheduled for release on January 28. 4
Broadcom’s next key date is earnings, set for March 5 according to Nasdaq data. This report will offer investors an early look at how AI infrastructure spending and software demand are faring. 5
But the setup is double-edged. Should Intel’s caution trigger wider concerns about data-center supply or demand, chip stocks might face heavier selling. And if the Fed dials back on rate-cut hopes, those high-multiple semiconductor shares could adjust sharply downward.
