Super Micro Computer (SMCI.O), a leading AI server manufacturer, projected fourth-quarter revenue below Wall Street expectations, causing its shares to drop 5.4% in after-hours trading on Tuesday. The company cited economic uncertainty, tariffs, and delayed customer spending as near-term headwinds.
The San Jose-based firm forecast Q4 revenue between $5.6 billion and $6.4 billion, falling short of analysts’ average estimate of $6.82 billion, according to LSEG data. The company has benefited from surging demand for AI data center infrastructure, leveraging chips from Nvidia, AMD, and others, but has also faced accounting issues in recent months that sparked delisting concerns on the Nasdaq.
Despite some clients delaying purchases, Super Micro expects those deferred deals to materialize in the June–September quarter. However, investor sentiment remains cautious, particularly in light of growing concerns about AI investment slowdowns and tariff-related impacts.
Kim Caughey Forrest of Bokeh Capital Partners suggested the lowered guidance might be self-inflicted, rather than purely market-driven, while D.A. Davidson’s Gil Luria noted the possibility that Super Micro may be losing market share to competitors like Dell, rather than signaling a broader downturn in AI infrastructure demand.
For fiscal year 2025, Super Micro revised its revenue forecast downward to $21.8 billion to $22.6 billion, from a previously expected $23.5 billion to $25.0 billion.
The company had released preliminary results last week, but the lower guidance and uncertain macroeconomic environment continue to weigh on investor confidence.