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Analysts Raise Super Micro Target as Profit Margins Improve and AI Demand Grows

Published
20 Aug 24
Updated
09 Jan 26
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AnalystConsensusTarget's Fair Value
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Author's Valuation

US$48.5329.2% undervalued intrinsic discount

AnalystConsensusTarget Fair Value

Last Update 09 Jan 26

SMCI: AI Server Order Wins Will Support Longer Term Margin Recovery

Analysts have made a modest upward adjustment to their Super Micro Computer price targets, with changes ranging from US$3 to US$4 per share. They are weighing recent Q1 revenue timing issues against strong new AI server orders and the potential for longer term margin recovery in an increasingly competitive market.

Analyst Commentary

Recent Street research on Super Micro Computer shows a mix of optimism around growth drivers and caution around execution and profitability, with price targets in the US$30 to US$43 range and ratings clustered around Sell and Neutral.

Bullish Takeaways

  • Bullish analysts highlight Super Micro's reported US$12b GB300 platform win and other design wins as potential supports for future revenue growth, which they factor into higher price targets such as US$34 and US$30.
  • Management's expectation for Q2 revenue to roughly double sequentially, as referenced in research commentary, is viewed by optimistic analysts as a sign that Q1 revenue timing issues are more about order shifts than demand erosion.
  • The Data Center Building Block Solution and geographic expansion efforts are seen by some as potential supports for longer term margin recovery, which feeds into more constructive outlooks on the company's earnings power.
  • JPMorgan references guidance for at least US$33b of revenue in fiscal 2026 and commentary that management expects to catch up on pushed out revenue. Supportive analysts treat this as a signal of management confidence in the current order book.

Bearish Takeaways

  • Bearish analysts point to the Q1 EPS miss versus guidance, linked to revenue shifts into Q2, as a sign that execution risk around delivery timing can directly affect near term profitability.
  • There is explicit concern that Q1 revenue shortfalls could pressure margins, especially as Super Micro ramps deliveries against customer design changes and absorbs related costs.
  • Several research notes flag ongoing profitability risk in an increasingly competitive AI server market, which leads more cautious analysts to keep Sell or Neutral ratings even while acknowledging strong order momentum.
  • JPMorgan's successive reductions in its price target from US$45 to US$43 and then to US$40 reflect a more reserved stance on how quickly revenue outlook updates and design wins translate into earnings and valuation support.

What’s in the News

  • Super Micro Computer raised its full fiscal 2026 outlook to at least US$36b in net sales, up from prior guidance of at least US$33b, and also reiterated separate guidance that references at least US$33b in revenue for the year.
  • The company issued new guidance for Q2 fiscal 2026, targeting net sales of US$10.0b to US$11.0b and GAAP net income per diluted share of US$0.37 to US$0.45.
  • Supermicro expanded its NVIDIA Blackwell architecture portfolio with new 4U and 2-OU liquid cooled NVIDIA HGX B300 systems aimed at hyperscale data centers and AI factory deployments, including rack scale designs supporting up to 144 GPUs per rack.
  • A new high density, direct liquid cooled SuperBlade server based on dual Intel Xeon 6900 series processors was announced, with up to 25,600 cores per rack and features aimed at lowering data center power use and space requirements.
  • The company created Super Micro Federal LLC to focus on U.S. federal customers with AI ready systems developed and manufactured in the U.S., and is also showcasing federal focused NVIDIA based AI infrastructure at NVIDIA GTC in Washington, D.C. (company announcements)

Valuation Changes

  • Fair Value: Model fair value per share is unchanged at 48.53.
  • Discount Rate: The discount rate has risen slightly from 8.87% to 8.93%, indicating a modestly higher required return in the model.
  • Revenue Growth: The forecast revenue growth assumption is effectively unchanged at 34.88%.
  • Net Profit Margin: The net profit margin assumption remains steady at about 5.80%.
  • Future P/E: The future P/E multiple has increased slightly from 12.68x to 12.70x, representing a very small change in the valuation multiple applied.

Key Takeaways

  • Surging global demand for AI and analytics infrastructure positions Super Micro for sustained revenue growth, margin expansion, and greater earnings stability through product innovation and diversified customer segments.
  • Advanced, energy-efficient modular solutions and expanded global operations support higher-margin opportunities, recurring large-scale orders, and reduced customer concentration risk across multiple regions and verticals.
  • Dependence on a few large customers, hardware commoditization, shifting demand, platform adoption risks, and global supply chain issues threaten Super Micro's margin stability and earnings growth.

Catalysts

About Super Micro Computer
    Develops and sells high performance server and storage solutions based on modular and open architecture in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally.
What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
  • The accelerating global adoption of AI and analytics continues to drive demand for high-performance, scalable server and data center solutions, positioning Super Micro for strong multi-year revenue growth as enterprises and nations build out AI infrastructure-directly supporting projected revenue outperformance.
  • The company's launch and rapid expansion of its Data Center Building Block Solution (DCBBS) enables customers to deploy turnkey, energy-efficient, and customized AI data centers faster than traditional solutions-supporting higher-margin product mix and improving gross and operating margins over time.
  • Super Micro's focus on modular, configurable infrastructure and its ability to quickly adopt the latest GPU and AI accelerator platforms (e.g., NVIDIA GB300, AMD MI350X) support rapid innovation cycles, increasing ASPs and defending against commoditization, thereby enhancing both revenue growth and net margin expansion.
  • Growing international and sovereign demand for national AI infrastructure, especially in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, provides a diversified customer pipeline and recurring large-scale orders-improving revenue visibility and reducing customer concentration risk, with positive implications for long-term revenue stability.
  • Expansion into higher-margin enterprise, edge, and telco verticals, paired with enhanced global manufacturing and supply chain operations in regions like Malaysia, supports margin improvement through cost efficiencies and revenue diversification, stabilizing earnings and enabling Super Micro to reach its long-term gross margin targets.

Super Micro Computer Earnings and Revenue Growth

Super Micro Computer Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

How have these above catalysts been quantified?
  • Analysts are assuming Super Micro Computer's revenue will grow by 29.9% annually over the next 3 years.
  • Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 4.8% today to 5.0% in 3 years time.
  • Analysts expect earnings to reach $2.4 billion (and earnings per share of $3.6) by about September 2028, up from $1.0 billion today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
  • In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 16.1x on those 2028 earnings, down from 24.3x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Tech industry at 24.3x.
  • Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 0.55% per year for the next 3 years.
  • To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 8.54%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Super Micro Computer Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Super Micro Computer Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?
  • The company's heavy reliance on a small number of very large customers (four 10%+ customers, with the largest representing 21% of revenue) exposes Super Micro to material revenue volatility and potential margin pressure if any major customer reduces spending or chooses a competitor, negatively impacting overall revenue and profitability.
  • Intense competition in the AI server market and the commoditization of hardware (with Super Micro acknowledging "price wars" and pressure on margins for commodity products), combined with the entrance of larger, vertically integrated players, poses significant risk of long-term margin compression and limits the company's ability to maintain sustainable net margins.
  • Customer purchasing cycles remain elongated as buyers delay orders waiting for next-generation chips (e.g., NVIDIA B300, GB300), which introduces uncertainty in demand visibility, creates "back-end loaded" revenues, and heightens risks of overoptimistic projections or "lumpiness" in earnings.
  • Significant bets on new solution platforms like the Data Center Building Block Solution (DCBBS) bring execution risks in scaling new high-margin products-if adoption ramps more slowly than expected or is met with unanticipated levels of competition, the anticipated improvement in gross margins and earnings may not materialize as quickly or at all.
  • Exposure to ongoing trade and tariff uncertainties, as well as complex global supply chains (with rapid expansion in Asia, the U.S., Malaysia, and Europe), raises the risk of input cost spikes, disruptions, and compliance costs that could erode gross margins and adversely affect long-term profitability.

Valuation

How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?
  • The analysts have a consensus price target of $50.062 for Super Micro Computer based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $93.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $15.0.
  • In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $48.2 billion, earnings will come to $2.4 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 16.1x, assuming you use a discount rate of 8.5%.
  • Given the current share price of $42.92, the analyst price target of $50.06 is 14.3% higher.
  • We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.

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Disclaimer

AnalystConsensusTarget is a tool utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) that ingests data on consensus price targets, forecasted revenue and earnings figures, as well as the transcripts of earnings calls to produce qualitative analysis. The narratives produced by AnalystConsensusTarget are general in nature and are based solely on analyst data and publicly-available material published by the respective companies. These scenarios are not indicative of the company's future performance and are exploratory in nature. Simply Wall St has no position in the company(s) mentioned. Simply Wall St may provide the securities issuer or related entities with website advertising services for a fee, on an arm's length basis. These relationships have no impact on the way we conduct our business, the content we host, or how our content is served to users. The price targets and estimates used are consensus data, and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and they do not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Note that AnalystConsensusTarget's analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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