Should You Buy, Hold, or Sell AMD Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings?

Core Insights - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is expected to report second-quarter 2025 revenues of $7.4 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of approximately 27% [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMD's second-quarter revenues is $7.41 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 26.96%, while earnings per share are estimated at 47 cents, representing a decline of 31.88% year-over-year [2] Revenue Segments - AMD's data center segment is projected to see significant revenue growth, with estimates at $3.31 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 16.7%, driven by strong sales of EPYC processors [5] - The client segment is expected to grow by 69.3% year-over-year, with revenues estimated at $2.52 billion, supported by demand for Ryzen processors and collaborations with companies like Dell Technologies [7] - The embedded segment is anticipated to remain flat year-over-year, with revenues estimated at $818 million, indicating a decline of 4.9% [8] Market Performance - AMD shares have increased by 45.9% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's growth of 11.4% and the Computer–Integrated Systems industry's rise of 31.4% [9] - In contrast, Intel Corporation's shares have decreased by 1.3% during the same period, highlighting AMD's competitive advantage [9] Strategic Developments - AMD's partnerships with major companies such as Nokia, Microsoft, and Dell Technologies are expected to enhance its performance, particularly in the data center segment [14] - The adoption of AMD's fifth-gen EPYC 9005 Series processors by Nokia is aimed at improving performance for containerized workloads, crucial for 5G and enterprise applications [15] - Demand for AI accelerators like the Instinct MI300 series is expected to continue growing, further boosting data center revenues [16] Challenges - AMD faces challenges from new export controls on MI308 shipments to China, which are projected to reduce revenues by $700 million in the second quarter of 2025 [17] - The company's current valuation is considered stretched, with a forward price/sales ratio of 8.16X, significantly higher than the industry average of 3.88X [12]