
Core Viewpoint - Super Micro Computer (SMCI) has faced significant challenges with revenue forecasting and gross margins, leading to a volatile stock performance, with shares down approximately 25% over the past year but up nearly 50% year to date [1] Revenue Performance - For fiscal Q4, Supermicro's revenue increased by 7% year over year to $5.76 billion, missing the analyst consensus of $5.89 billion and falling within the low end of its guidance range of $5.6 billion to $6.4 billion [5] - The company has consistently lowered its revenue guidance throughout the fiscal year, starting with a reduction in November for fiscal Q1 revenue from $6 billion to $7 billion to a range of $5.9 billion to $6 billion [2][5] Gross Margin Issues - Supermicro's gross margins have been under pressure, dropping from 17% a year earlier to 11.3% in June 2024, and further declining to 9.5% in fiscal Q4 compared to 10.2% a year ago [6][7] - The decline in gross margins is attributed to price reductions to secure new design wins and increased competition in the GPU platform transition [6][7] Profitability Challenges - The company's adjusted EPS fell by 24% to $0.41, missing the analyst consensus of $0.44, indicating that lower gross margins are adversely affecting profitability [10] - Fiscal Q1 revenue guidance is projected between $6 billion and $7 billion, but adjusted EPS guidance of $0.40 to $0.52 is below the analyst estimate of $0.59 [10] Future Outlook - For fiscal 2026, Supermicro projects revenue growth to at least $33 billion, representing a 50% increase, driven by expanding its enterprise customer base and new product innovations [11] - The company aims to improve gross margins by focusing on higher-margin markets and complete data center solutions, with a long-term goal of reaching 15% to 16% [9] Valuation Considerations - The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just over 16 times based on fiscal-year 2026 estimates, which appears reasonable given the revenue growth guidance [13] - However, the business model is characterized as low-margin and may struggle with GPU product transition cycles, making it less favorable compared to other AI infrastructure companies [12][13]