J P M O R G A N North America Equity Research 15 December 2025 Hardware & Networking 2026 Outlook: AI Genie Will Keep Giving Boons; Look to EPS Upside Relative to Investors Pricing in Only Modest Acceleration; Top-Picks ANET, APH We have a favorable view on AI stocks for another year heading into 2026 and believe investors should stay the course with their positioning in the sector, as well as stocks positioned to be key AI beneficiaries; albeit, with a different rank order within the AI beneficiary group. ...

Key Takeaways from J.P. Morgan's Expert Discussion on AI Datacenters Industry Overview - The discussion focused on the **AI Datacenter** industry, particularly the scaling up of AI Datacenters and the evolving architecture for hyperscale AI workloads. Core Insights 1. **Shift in Compute Capex**: - There is a rapid shift in compute capital expenditures (capex) towards inference workloads, with techniques like distillation and multi-step optimization yielding significant near-term gains. By approximately **2027**, the share of compute dedicated to inference is expected to surpass that of training workloads [3][4][5]. 2. **Preference for Smaller Models**: - Enterprises are increasingly adopting smaller, fine-tuned models over larger ones, accepting slight quality trade-offs for reduced costs in inference workloads. This trend is exemplified by Cursor's new coding model [3][4]. 3. **Standardization in Hardware**: - The industry is witnessing a move towards standardization in inference-related networking hardware, with expectations for more rack-level standardization in the coming year. White-box solutions are gaining traction through Open Compute Project (OCP) initiatives [3][4]. 4. **Training Constraints**: - Training workloads are facing constraints primarily due to power supply issues, while inference workloads are less affected. The power demands for training are significantly higher, estimated at **5-10 times** that of inference [4][5]. 5. **Longer GPU Lifespan**: - Buyers are now planning for a useful life of **five to six years** for GPUs, an increase from the previous **four years**. This shift reflects a strategic move to repurpose GPUs from training to inference tasks [5]. 6. **Storage Solutions**: - The storage landscape remains hybrid, with HDDs maintaining cost leadership while Flash/NAND is preferred for high-performance needs. Advances in HDD technology, such as HAMR, are helping HDDs remain competitive [5]. 7. **Beneficiaries of Capex Shift**: - Companies like **Broadcom**, **Marvel**, and **Celestica** are expected to benefit from the shift towards inference workloads. Broadcom's work with custom ASICs for major players like Google and Amazon positions it favorably in this evolving market [5]. Additional Important Points - The discussion highlighted the growing comfort among operators in mixing branded and white box solutions, indicating a trend towards flexibility and cost-effectiveness in hardware choices [1][3]. - The preference for Ethernet and PCIe for inference workloads is driven by cost considerations and the ease of capacity expansion, contrasting with the continued use of InfiniBand for training clusters [3][4]. - The call emphasized the importance of co-packaged optics for high bandwidth requirements, particularly for workloads exceeding **1.6T** [3][4]. This comprehensive analysis provides insights into the current trends and future expectations within the AI Datacenter industry, highlighting key shifts in technology, investment strategies, and market dynamics.

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call on Scale-Up AI Networking Industry Overview - The conference call focused on the **AI Networking** industry, specifically discussing **Scale-Up AI Networking** and its growth forecasts as provided by **650 Group** in collaboration with **J.P. Morgan** [1][3]. Core Insights and Arguments - **AI Networking Growth**: The total addressable market (TAM) for AI networking is projected to grow from **$15 billion in 2024** to **$65 billion in 2029**, representing a **34% compound annual growth rate (CAGR)** over the next five years. This growth is supported by strong increases in both front-end and back-end revenues [1][3]. - **Scale-Up vs. Scale-Out Revenues**: - Scale-Up AI Networking is expected to grow at a **123% CAGR**, reaching **$21 billion by 2029**, while Scale-Out revenues are projected to grow from **$11.7 billion in 2024** to **$28.8 billion in 2029**, implying a **20% CAGR** [3][6]. - By 2029, Scale-Up revenues are forecasted to comprise **43% of all back-end AI revenues**, up from just **3% in 2024** [3][6]. - **Long-Term Outlook**: Although Scale-Up revenues will not exceed 50% of total AI back-end revenues by 2029, analysts expect them to eventually eclipse Scale-Out revenues in the following decade due to increasing demand for multi-rack scale-up technologies and higher-bandwidth solutions like silicon photonics [6]. - **Shift to Ethernet Connectivity**: - The industry is anticipated to converge towards Ethernet connectivity, even for Merchant ASICs, with a forecasted growth of **22% CAGR** for these products, increasing from **4.4 million units in 2024** to **11.9 million units in 2029** [9]. - Custom ASICs are also expected to transition to Ethernet, with a **17% CAGR** growth from **5.0 million units in 2024** to **10.7 million units in 2029** [9]. - **Market Share Dynamics**: - NVLink is projected to maintain a **96% market share** in the Scale-Up Networking market by 2029, although its share will decrease to **63%** as Ethernet-based solutions grow to **$7 billion**, capturing **31% of the market** [11]. - The Scale-Out TAM is expected to be dominated by Ethernet, with limited growth for Infiniband, positioning Ethernet networking suppliers favorably [15]. Additional Important Insights - The forecasts suggest potential upsides rather than downsides, driven by current momentum in Cloud capital expenditures [1]. - The transition to Ethernet is seen as beneficial due to operational simplicity and multi-vendor interoperability, which are critical for the evolving networking landscape [11]. This summary encapsulates the key points discussed during the conference call, highlighting the growth potential and market dynamics within the AI Networking sector.

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Company and Industry Involved - **Company**: Google (Alphabet Inc.) - **Industry**: Cloud Computing, Hardware & Networking Core Insights and Arguments - **Capex Growth**: Google reported a significant increase in capital expenditures (capex) for Q2 2025, with a rise of **+70% year-over-year** to **$22.4 billion**, exceeding the consensus estimate of approximately **$18 billion** [1] - **Full-Year Outlook**: The company raised its full-year capex outlook for 2025 to **$85 billion**, up from a previous estimate of **$75 billion**, indicating a year-over-year growth of **60%+** [1] - **Investment Focus**: The majority of the capex is directed towards technical infrastructure, with **two-thirds** allocated to servers and the remaining to datacenters and networking equipment [1] - **Future Projections**: Management hinted at further increases in capex for 2026, driven by strong customer demand and growth opportunities [1] Additional Important Information - **Implications for Other Hyperscalers**: Google's capex results are expected to set a precedent for other U.S. hyperscalers, suggesting a similar trend in spending appetite when they report their earnings [1] - **Supplier Impact**: Companies with exposure to AI infrastructure spending, such as Celestica, Flex, Arista, and others, are anticipated to benefit from this increased capex [1] - **Historical Capex Trends**: The report includes a historical overview of Google's quarterly capex, showing fluctuations and significant increases in recent quarters, particularly in Q2 2025 [2] This summary encapsulates the critical financial insights and future expectations regarding Google's capital expenditures and their implications for the broader cloud computing and hardware industry.