NVIDIA Blackwell GPU delivery delay storm reemerges, Super Micro Computer CEO expects delay until early 2025
Super Micro Computer CEO predicts that NVIDIA's Blackwell GPU will not see significant growth before the March quarter of 2025, the delayed sales expectation directly impacting Super Micro Computer's revenue forecast for the 2025 fiscal year. Previously, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated that a large number of Blackwell devices were expected to be launched by the end of the year, but major customers have hinted at possible delays in the release. Super Micro Computer remains optimistic about the prospects of Blackwell GPU, but the stock price has dropped by 20%. NVIDIA's stock price also fell by 5% on the same day. Super Micro Computer's financial report for the fourth quarter of the 2024 fiscal year shows that the company's revenue and profit did not meet analyst expectations
According to the financial news app Zhitong Finance, Super Micro Computer (SMCI.US) CEO Charles Liang revealed in the latest earnings conference call that he is cautious about the sales growth of NVIDIA's (NVDA.US) Blackwell GPU, expecting no significant growth before the March quarter of 2025. Although Super Micro Computer may see initial sales of the Blackwell GPU in the December quarter, Liang believes the true peak in sales will come in the March quarter of 2025.
This delayed expected sales directly impacts Super Micro Computer's revenue forecast for the 2025 fiscal year. Liang expects revenue for the fiscal year to be between $26 billion and $30 billion, below market expectations. Previously, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated in May that he expected a large number of Blackwell devices to be launched by the end of the year.
However, major NVIDIA customers including Meta Platforms (META.US), Google (GOOGL.US), and Microsoft (MSFT.US) have all hinted at a possible delay in the release of Blackwell. Due to design issues encountered during manufacturing, NVIDIA had to retest production with chip manufacturer TSMC (TSM.US), causing customers to wait until the first quarter of 2025 to receive large shipments.
Despite this challenge, Liang remains optimistic about the prospects of the Blackwell GPU. He stated that once the Blackwell GPU is launched, Super Micro Computer is prepared with optimized systems and rack-scale designs for Blackwell.
The market reacted strongly to Super Micro Computer's earnings report, with the company's stock price falling by 20% on Wednesday. Meanwhile, NVIDIA's stock price also fell by 5% on the same day, with the company experiencing an accumulated decline of about 18% in the past month, while its stock price has doubled since the beginning of the year.
Super Micro Computer's fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings report showed that the company's revenue and profit did not meet analyst expectations. Sales for the fourth quarter were $5.31 billion, a 143.6% year-on-year increase, but slightly below the market's expected $5.32 billion. Net profit was $353 million, a significant increase from $194 million in the same period last year; adjusted earnings per share were $6.25, lower than the company's previous forecast and the average analyst expectation of $8.25.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the sales growth of the Blackwell GPU, both Super Micro Computer and NVIDIA are actively preparing to adapt to market changes in order to maintain their leading positions in the competitive technology industry