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AMD Shares Drop 8% Amid Disappointing AI Chip Revenue and Pressure from Nvidia

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Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) saw its stock plunge by 8% on Wednesday after the company’s AI chip revenue fell short of analysts’ expectations, highlighting its struggle to capture market share from the dominant player, Nvidia. AMD’s fourth-quarter data center revenue, which reflects demand for its AI processors, increased by 69% to $3.9 billion. However, this figure missed the consensus estimate of $4.15 billion.

Despite AMD’s success in gaining ground in the central processing unit (CPU) market, the company continues to lag far behind Nvidia in the graphics processing unit (GPU) sector. According to technology analyst Ben Barringer, while AMD is taking market share from Intel in CPUs, it faces significant challenges in disrupting Nvidia’s established position in the GPU market.

The disappointing results led to a $15 billion loss in AMD’s stock market value, further compounded by an 18% decline in shares last year. While AMD’s stock had surged more than 100% in 2023 amid hopes for its AI-optimized GPUs, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed by 171% in 2024. The growing trend of tech giants, including Microsoft and Meta, developing in-house chips to reduce costs may also diminish demand for AMD’s processors.

As Nvidia continues to outperform and custom chips gain popularity, BofA analysts noted that AMD could struggle to make significant inroads in the AI chip market. Additionally, the launch of DeepSeek, a low-cost AI model by Chinese firm DeepSeek, has made investors more cautious about heavy spending on AI chips, further undermining confidence in AMD’s prospects.

At least 22 analysts have lowered their price targets for AMD, with the median target now set at $150, down from $166.5 before the results.

 

SailPoint Targets $11.5 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

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SailPoint, a cybersecurity firm backed by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, is targeting a valuation of up to $11.5 billion in its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. The firm, based in Austin, Texas, is offering 47.5 million shares at a price range of $19 to $21 per share, with an additional 2.5 million shares from its parent, Thoma Bravo, raising a total of up to $1.05 billion. The IPO, expected to be the first major U.S. tech listing of 2025, will gauge investor sentiment following mixed results from previous high-profile IPOs.

SailPoint specializes in identity and access management software, which helps businesses mitigate unwanted user access and protect sensitive data from cyberattacks. The growing demand for cybersecurity, fueled in part by the increasing use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors, has bolstered the firm’s offerings. Its competitors include major tech giants like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, CyberArk, and Okta. The firm counts clients like truckmaker PACCAR, student loan servicer Nelnet, and British supermarket chain ASDA among its customers.

Thoma Bravo, which manages about $166 billion in assets, first acquired SailPoint in 2014 and took it public in 2017. After selling its stake in 2018, Thoma Bravo reacquired SailPoint in 2022 for $6.9 billion. Since going private, the company has completed its transition to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The IPO will mark SailPoint’s return to the stock market.

Notable investors such as AllianceBernstein and Dragoneer Investment Group have expressed interest in buying up to 20% of the shares sold in the offering. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are the lead underwriters for the IPO, which will be listed under the symbol “SAIL” on the Nasdaq. Following the offering, Thoma Bravo will retain an 88.5% stake in SailPoint. The company plans to use the proceeds to repay debt and settle outstanding equity awards.

 

Mitsubishi Heavy Sees Strong Gas Turbine Demand Despite AI Advances

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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) expects continued strong demand for gas turbines, even if data centers require less electricity due to more efficient AI models such as China’s DeepSeek. Chief Financial Officer Hisato Kozawa stated that while DeepSeek’s performance remains unproven, it does not alter the broader trend of rising global power consumption.

Kozawa also noted that last week’s market sell-off, driven by DeepSeek’s emergence, led to MHI being traded as an AI-related stock for the first time, a development he found notable.

On Tuesday, MHI reported record third-quarter earnings and raised its annual profit forecast for the financial year ending in March. The company now expects a net profit of 240 billion yen ($1.55 billion), an increase of over 8% from its previous guidance, driven by strong gas turbine sales for power plants.

MHI’s stock has more than doubled in the past year, supported by growing demand for jets, naval ships, and missiles amid Japan’s defense expansion. However, its shares closed at 2,218 yen on Tuesday, down 0.6% from the previous day, while the Nikkei 225 index rose by 0.7%.