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Super Micro to File Delayed Annual Report by February Deadline, Shares Rise

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Super Micro Computer (SMCI.O) announced on Tuesday that it expects to file its delayed annual and quarterly reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by the February 25 deadline, leading to an 8% surge in its shares after hours. The server maker had previously missed the deadline for its 10-K report after receiving subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC, following short-seller Hindenburg Research’s allegations of “accounting manipulation” in August. Super Micro confirmed that it is cooperating with the authorities’ requests for documents.

The company, based in San Jose, California, also reduced its revenue forecast for fiscal 2025 due to delays in the availability of Nvidia’s (NVDA.O) Blackwell processors, a key component for its AI server systems. While the delay in filing the report was a “distraction,” Super Micro’s financial chief, David Weigand, explained that the primary issue was the delay in technology availability. Despite the challenges, Super Micro announced the full production availability of its AI server systems powered by Nvidia’s Blackwell chips last week.

Super Micro, a beneficiary of the growing demand for advanced data center infrastructure to support generative AI, now faces increasing competition from rivals like Dell (DELL.N) and HP Enterprise (HPE.N). The company has revised its fiscal 2025 net sales forecast to a range of $23.5 billion to $25 billion, down from its previous projection of $26 billion to $30 billion. The midpoint of this forecast, $24.25 billion, falls below analysts’ expectation of $24.92 billion.

For the third quarter, Super Micro is projecting net sales of $5 billion to $6 billion, lower than analysts’ estimate of $6.09 billion. In December, the company was removed from the Nasdaq-100 Index after missing its initial deadline for filing the 10-K report, though it received an extension until February 25.

Baidu CEO Stresses Continued Investment in Cloud Infrastructure Despite DeepSeek’s Success

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Baidu CEO Robin Li emphasized the ongoing need for investment in cloud infrastructure and data centers despite the recent success of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup. Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Li highlighted that while DeepSeek has demonstrated impressive efficiency in developing language models using less computing power, the demand for greater computational resources remains crucial.

“The investment in cloud infrastructure is still very much required. To develop models smarter than others, you need more compute,” Li stated, referring to the hardware that enables AI models to train, process data, and generate predictions.

DeepSeek has captured global attention for creating language models that rival leading systems like OpenAI’s GPT while utilizing significantly lower computational resources. This innovation has raised questions about the necessity for massive infrastructure investments, which has been a focal point of many AI companies’ strategies.

Baidu, one of the first Chinese companies to introduce AI products after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, has developed its large language model, Ernie, which the company claims matches the capabilities of GPT-4. However, Ernie has seen limited adoption in the market.

Li, known for making bold statements about China’s AI industry, acknowledged the unexpected nature of innovation, citing DeepSeek’s rapid success as an example. “You just don’t know when and where innovations come from,” Li remarked.

The CEO also noted that the pressure to reduce costs and overcome compute constraints has driven Chinese companies like Baidu to innovate more efficiently. In an apparent shift from his earlier stance, Li recognized the potential of open-source approaches to accelerate AI development. “If you open things up, many people will be curious enough to try it. This will help spread the technology much faster,” he added.

France’s EDF Identifies Land for Data Centers to Boost AI Infrastructure

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France’s state-owned utility, EDF, announced on Monday that it has identified four sites on its land for the development of data centers. This move is part of EDF’s strategy to expedite investments in power-hungry digital infrastructure, particularly as the country hosts a summit on artificial intelligence (AI) with political and business leaders discussing the emerging technology.

As a leading producer of nuclear energy, EDF is positioning nuclear power as a clean and reliable energy source for these data centers. The four identified sites are strategically located with available grid connections, offering a combined total power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). EDF is also in the process of searching for two additional sites to meet growing demand.

EDF’s initiative includes providing personalized support to digital companies wishing to develop data center projects, guiding them through the necessary steps to complete their projects. Last year, EDF executives revealed that the utility was in discussions with three companies about powering 1 GW data center projects in France. However, there were concerns that grid connections could delay the launch of some projects.