Arm's Low-Power Architectures Overcome AI Energy Constraints, Fuel 34% Growth in Revenue

Arm Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:ARM) posted impressive results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, fueled by heightened demand for its power-saving chip designs in artificial intelligence (AI) and data center sectors. The UK-based chip designer reported quarterly revenue of $1.14 billion, marking a 34% increase from the previous year and beating analyst projections of $1.06 billion, according to a

. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached 39 cents, outpacing the expected 33 cents, as noted by . This performance was supported by a 21% growth in royalty income to $620 million and a 56% surge in licensing revenue to $515 million, as reported by .

The company remains upbeat about its fiscal third-quarter prospects, offering a midpoint revenue forecast of $1.23 billion—well above the analyst consensus of $1.1 billion, according to the Economic Times. CEO Rene Haas emphasized the importance of Arm's technology in overcoming the "power bottleneck" in AI processing, pointing out that its chip designs are more energy efficient than conventional x86 chips, a view echoed by MarketScreener. This gives

a strong position to benefit from the AI surge, with chips based on its architecture generating close to $200 billion in annual sales for manufacturers, according to .

Arm is also undergoing strategic changes. The company is channeling profits into developing its own complete chip solutions, moving beyond its traditional IP licensing approach, as reported by the Economic Times. This strategy, highlighted by its Compute Sub Systems (CSS) project, is designed to compete head-to-head with major players like Nvidia and Amazon in the data center and AI hardware markets, a trend discussed by Finimize. This pivot highlights Arm's intent to build on its established ecosystem while addressing the challenges of rising R&D expenses and stiffer competition, as Finimize also points out.

At the same time, Arm's growth plans have been supported by its parent, SoftBank Group Corp. (OTC:SFTBY), which considered merging U.S. chipmaker Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) with Arm to bolster its hardware assets, according to

. Although the deal did not go through, the proposal illustrates the broader industry push as companies compete for leadership in AI infrastructure.

Investor confidence remains strong, with 20 analysts rating the stock a "buy" and a median 12-month price target of $155, according to

. Still, experts warn that moving into chip manufacturing brings new challenges, such as increased capital spending and more complex supply chains, as highlighted by Finimize.

Bank of America shares reached a 52-week peak of $53.64, according to an

. In a separate disclosure, Access Investment Management LLC acquired 210,075 shares of Bank of America Corporation ($BAC), as shown in a .