SoundHound AI (SOUN +1.92%), Serve Robotics (SERV +0.90%), and Super Micro Computer (SMCI +2.14%) have something in common. Their performance in February isn't it, though.
It was a rocky month for SoundHound AI and Serve Robotics stocks, which plummeted 23.5% and 45.7%, respectively, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Yet, Super Micro shares soared 45.4%.
Another difference is the size of these technology companies. Super Micro Computer is a large-cap company, with a recent market cap of $23 billion. On the other extreme, Serve Robotics' market cap of under $400 million makes it a small-cap stock.
Here's why they all moved so meaningfully last month, though.
Nvidia is the common tie
Semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) leader Nvidia has ties to each of these big February movers. That relationship is what caused SoundHound and Serve stocks to plunge.
Nvidia released its latest 13F filing in mid-February, showing its stock holdings as of Dec. 31. Investors were surprised to see that the tech giant had sold its investments in both SoundHound and Serve. That knocked both stocks down substantially -- and the plunge continued to accelerate from there.
NASDAQ: SOUN
Key Data Points
That's because SoundHound's AI voice recognition business and Serve's robot delivery technology both were thought to be big beneficiaries of the relationship with Nvidia. Investors just assumed that Nvidia's decision to sell meant something negative was in store for both businesses.
That assumption came without any details from Nvidia on why it shed the investments. It may have just been locking in profits, after all. But a new Nvidia holding stoked further doubts about Serve's future. Nvidia revealed the new holding of Nebius Group stock in its portfolio, which has its own robotic delivery segment called Avride.
Super Micro Computer, also known as Supermicro, has ties to Nvidia as a supplier of servers and cooling systems for advanced data center applications that include Nvidia hardware. February was a month of recovery for Supermicro stock. After losing its auditor, the stock had previously tanked amid questions surrounding its business. It delayed filing its annual and quarterly reports, and the company was under threat of being delisted by the Nasdaq stock exchange.
But the company finally filed its delayed reports with a new auditor in place. It did so without restating prior financial filings, allowing the company to regain compliance with the Nasdaq. The stock had surged ahead of that announcement, though. While still recording a large gain, Supermicro stock ended February about one-third off its highs for the month.
NASDAQ: SMCI
Key Data Points
Expect volatility from these stocks
It might be accurate to say that the big swings in shares of these technology stocks last month were examples of market overreactions. But that's not uncommon with these names. SoundHound and Serve Robotics shares had previously soared, partially due to Nvidia's original investments in the stocks.
For its part, Supermicro's sharp rebound came due to prior accounting questions. Many investors don't wait for clarity in similar situations, and shares had already tanked prior to last month. While there is now more clarity with Supermicro's financials, questions still remain about competition, internal controls, and an ongoing regulatory investigation, as well as market risks.
The bottom line is that investors should continue to expect volatility from these names. February isn't likely to be the last month when investors overreact to news surrounding these stocks.
