Which company is the center of attention this week? It's Nvidia (NVDA +1.80%), hands down. The chipmaker will announce its second-quarter earnings results following the market close on Wednesday.
I fully expect Nvidia's numbers to delight investors again, enabling it to extend its already impressive gains this year. But there's another stock-split stock that could also soar if Nvidia delivers a blowout Q2 update.
Joined at the hip
Super Micro Computer (SMCI +5.11%), also called Supermicro, is arguably joined at the hip with Nvidia. The company provides server and storage solutions that are especially popular in data centers.
NASDAQ: SMCI
Key Data Points
The same artificial intelligence (AI) tailwind fueling Nvidia's growth also helps Supermicro. Charles Liang, Supermicro's president and CEO, said earlier this month that his company "continues to experience record demand of new AI infrastructures." As a result, Supermicro's revenue in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2024 soared 110% year over year.
If Nvidia handily beats expectations with its Q2 results on Wednesday (and, more importantly, if the company's guidance is strong), it will bode well for Supermicro's fortunes over the near term. I look for Nvidia to also provide some clarity on the timing of when chips based on its new Blackwell architecture will begin shipping. This should also help Supermicro, which has liquid-cooled AI superclusters ready to support Blackwell.
Sure, Liang maintains that a delay for Blackwell won't impact Supermicro much because it does business with other chipmakers. Make no mistake about it, though: Good news from Nvidia will translate to good news for Supermicro.
Will Supermicro's stock split provide another catalyst?
I don't think there's much doubt that a blow-out Nvidia Q2 update would provide a catalyst for Supermicro. But what about the company's 10-for-1 stock split scheduled for Oct. 1? It's iffy, in my view.
For one thing, Supermicro's stock split won't change anything at all about the company's underlying business or its growth prospects. On the other hand, spectacular guidance from Nvidia would likely mean stronger growth ahead for Supermicro.
Any investor who really wanted to buy shares of Supermicro could do so even with its share price trading in the ballpark of $600. Many online brokerages support buying fractional shares.
However, this will be Supermicro's first stock split. I'll admit that it's possible some investors who have remained on the sidelines could view the split as a great opportunity to buy the stock. I suspect the allure to invest in Supermicro could be even greater if the stock indeed soars as I expect it will following Nvidia's quarterly update this week.
Is Supermicro a better stock to buy than Nvidia?
Now for an even more important question: Is Supermicro a better stock to buy than Nvidia? Wall Street seems to think so.
The consensus 12-month price target for Supermicro of analysts surveyed by LSEG in August reflects an upside potential of over 50%. By comparison, the average price target for Nvidia is slightly lower than its current price.
I agree that Supermicro is a better pick than Nvidia. My primary reasoning is valuation. Supermicro's shares trade at a much lower forward earnings multiple than Nvidia's. But if Nvidia gives great news to investors on Wednesday, both of these stocks should be big winners.
