Compared to Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) stock, artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a piker. SMCI stock has nearly quadrupled in value in 2024 compared to the 90% gain by its industry peer.
Supermicro, as it’s known, makes generative AI-based servers for data centers. In fact, it works closely with Nvidia. It uses the chipmaker’s graphics processing units (GPU) in its equipment to enhance performance and efficiency. President and CEO Charles Liang says that by working with Nvidia its customers can deploy generative AI quickly within their operations.
“Our building block architecture enables us to be first to market with the latest technology, allowing customers to deploy generative AI faster than ever before,” he said.
Yet with Supermicro’s stock down 15% after a recent opportunistic cash grab, is it still a buy? Let’s look more closely to find out.
Selling off to scale up
The company announced last week it planned to sell 2 million shares of SMCI stock at an offering price of $875 per share. That was a 12.5% discount to where the stock had been trading at the time of the release. Although the stock dropped on the news, it is a smart move for Supermicro to take.
The computer equipment maker is up 2,400% in the past two years. As AI became hot and Nvidia seemingly became the face of the industry, Supermicro’s association with both sent shares soaring. Data centers are hot commodities because demand from hyperscalers for AI accelerators allows them to further build out their cloud operations.
The world’s four largest hyperscale platforms are Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) AWS, Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Cloud, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), and Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Azure. Together, they account for around 78% of total capacity.
According to BoA Securities analyst Ruplu Bhattacharya, the server market with AI integration is expected to grow fivefold from around $39 billion to around $200 billion in 2027.
Researching the future
Supermicro is using the proceeds from its stock sale to purchase inventory and other working capital needs. It will also expand manufacturing capacity and increase the amount it spends on research and development.
Supermicro only spent $307 million last year on R&D, or about 4% of revenue. In 2022 and 2021, it spent 5% and 6%, respectively. Considering the complex and comprehensive nature of the server market today, it’s important the equipment maker boosts its spending in this area.
With SMCI stock trading at such nosebleed valuations, it was smart of management to take advantage of the opportunity. Supermicro said it expected to receive about $1.75 billion from the stock sale.
AI is only the beginning
Much like Nvidia itself, Supermicro is “overvalued.” That’s in quotes because normal valuations don’t apply here. That doesn’t mean they won’t one day but right now there is more than just momentum carrying the stock higher.
Generative AI is still in its infancy. It offers the potential to completely rearrange the digital needs of business on both sides of the equation. Investing guru Cathie Wood already sees AI transforming global productivity by adding $200 trillion in gains by 2030 as adoption spreads worldwide.
That is only going to increase the need for the kinds of advanced servers, storage solutions and switch systems that Super Micro Computer builds. The equipment manufacturer holds a commanding competitive edge that sees no alternative seriously threatening its lead for the immediate future.
While there will come a time when the air is let out of the AI balloon, that won’t happen anytime soon. For that reason, the “discount” SMCI stock is offering investors after the stock sale news makes it worth buying.
On the date of publication, Rich Duprey did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
