Which Is a Better Investment, MaxLinear, Inc. or NXP Semiconductors N.V. Stock?

By Jenna Brashear
August 01, 2026
Large versus logo comparing two stocks in the same industry
Featured Tickers:

Sifting through countless of stocks in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in MaxLinear, Inc. or NXP Semiconductors N.V. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V.

MaxLinear, Inc. provides communications systems-on-chip solutions in the United States, Asia, Europe, and internationally. Its products integrate various portions of a high-speed communication system, including radio frequency, high-performance analog, mixed-signal, digital signal processing, security engines, data compression and networking layers, and power management. Its products are used in various electronic devices, such as radio transceivers and modems for 4G/5G base-station and backhaul infrastructure; optical transceivers; wi-fi and wireline routers for home networking; broadband modems compliant with data over cable service interface specifications, passive optical fiber standards, and digital subscriber line, as well as power management and interface products. It serves electronics distributors, module makers, original equipment manufacturers, and original design manufacturers through a direct sales force, third-party sales representatives, and a network of distributors. The company has a strategic collaboration with Edgecore Networks Corporation for the development network infrastructure for enterprise and SMB applications. MaxLinear, Inc. has strategic partnership with GCT Semiconductor Holding, Inc. to develop 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) gateways and converged gateways for consumer and enterprise applications. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. provides semiconductor products in the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Netherlands, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The company’s product portfolio includes microcontrollers; application processors; communication processors; wireless connectivity solutions, such as near field communications, ultra-wideband, Bluetooth low-energy, Zigbee, Thread, and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth integrated SoCs; analog and interface products; radio frequency devices, and security controllers, as well as semiconductor-based environmental and inertial sensors, including pressure, inertial, magnetic, and gyroscopic sensors. Its products are used in various applications, including automotive, industrial and Internet of Things, mobile, and communication infrastructure. The company markets its products to direct sales offices and independent distributors. NXP Semiconductors N.V. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Latest Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and MaxLinear, Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V. Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, MaxLinear, Inc. had a $6.1 billion market capitalization, compared to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment median of $4.6 million. MaxLinear, Inc.’s stock is up 283.4% in 2026, down 6.7% in the previous five trading days and up 293.29% in the past year.

Currently, MaxLinear, Inc. does not have a price-earnings ratio. MaxLinear, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $568.9 million with a -18.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 55.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.750 per share for the current fiscal year. MaxLinear, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of July 31, 2026, NXP Semiconductors N.V. had a $57.8 billion market cap, putting it in the 94th percentile of all stocks. NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s stock is up 5.6% in 2026, down 14.9% in the previous five trading days and up 3.72% in the past year.

Currently, NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s price-earnings ratio is 19.6. NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $13.2 billion with a 22.6% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 19.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $15.088 per share for the current fiscal year. NXP Semiconductors N.V. currently has a 1.8% dividend yield.

How We Compare MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

Learn more about A+ Investor here!

Sign Up to Receive a Free Special Report Showing How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Smarter Investment Decisions

MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V. Stock Value Grades

Company Ticker Value
MaxLinear, Inc. MXL F
NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI D

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

MaxLinear, Inc. has a Value Score of 6, which is Ultra Expensive. NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a Value Score of 29, which is Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither MaxLinear, Inc. or NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if MaxLinear, Inc. or NXP Semiconductors N.V. is the better investment when it comes to value.

MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
MaxLinear, Inc. MXL B
NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI A

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

MaxLinear, Inc. has a Quality Score of 71, which is Strong. NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a Quality Score of 93, which is Very Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: NXP Semiconductors N.V.

As you can clearly see from the Quality Grade breakdown above, NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a better overall quality grade than MaxLinear, Inc.. For investors who are looking for companies with higher quality than others in the same industry, NXP Semiconductors N.V. could be a good stock to add to their portfolios. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
MaxLinear, Inc. MXL A
NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

MaxLinear, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 85, which is Very Positive. NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 65, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: MaxLinear, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, MaxLinear, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than NXP Semiconductors N.V.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, MaxLinear, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V. Grades

In addition to Value, Estimate Revisions and Quality, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Momentum.

AAII Platinum Banner

Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, MaxLinear, Inc. or NXP Semiconductors N.V. Stock?

Overall, MaxLinear, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 6, Estimate Revisions Score of 85 and Quality Score of 71.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. stock has a Value Score of 29, Estimate Revisions Score of 65 and Quality Score of 93.

Comparing MaxLinear, Inc. and NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



Find New Stock Opportunities With Included With AAII Platinum
High Relative Dividend
Yield Screen:
8.7% Compared to S&P 500
at only 6.9%

Since Inception. Data as of 12/31/2024.




Try AAII Platinum and get full access to
769.3% Stock Superstars Portfolio Total Return Since Inception
Compare to:
710.3% iShare DOW Jones
U.S. Index ETF (IYY)

SSR Group 3 O'Shaughnessy portfolio has a 411.2% gain since inception performance compared to IYY at only 119.1%% Performance as of 11/29/24.

Get your free copy of our special report analyzing the tech stocks most likely to outperform the market.

Download the FREE Report Here:

BECOME A MEMBER FOR ONLY $2

Get access to powerful investment discovery tools and a wealth of investment education to help you achieve your financial goals.