Hewlett Packard Enterprise Jumps 5% on AMD Order; Dell and Super Micro Barely Move

HPE surged while its closest AI server rivals barely budged, and the reason comes down to a single deal that redraws the competitive map for AI infrastructure buildouts.

Published September 30, 2026, 10:41am ET · 3 min read

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A long hallway in a data center is lined on both sides with dark server racks, some showing glowing blue and green lights from the equipment inside. Overhead, a large, glowing blue graphic of a computer chip with 'AI' written on it hovers, casting a bright reflection of itself on the dark floor below. The scene is illuminated by blue light, creating a high-tech and futuristic atmosphere.
This sophisticated data center, with its prominent AI chip graphic, symbolizes the critical infrastructure and massive storage solutions required to power advanced artificial intelligence, a market where Seagate Technology plays a vital role. © Shutterstock

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE | HPE Price Prediction) stock jumped 5% to $64.55 on Wednesday after the company secured its first order for Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) Helios AI Rack systems. The $1.2 billion deal with cloud provider Vultr covers deployments across Vultr’s U.S. data centers and includes HPE networking, liquid cooling, and services. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) shares rose a more modest 1% to $543.65, while Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) stock slipped 0.4% to $40.85.

The semiconductor group was essentially flat, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) down 0.14% to $566.66. Broader markets edged higher as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE ARCA:SPY) advanced 0.44% to $767.55. HPE also raised its longer-term networking revenue outlook at an investor day, adding to the positive reaction.

HPE Lands First AMD Helios Order

HPE is supplying the networking layer, including Juniper-based scale-up Ethernet switches, along with liquid cooling and deployment services for the systems. Each AMD Helios rack integrates 72 AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs with supporting CPUs, networking cards, and software designed for large-model training and high-volume inference. The order marks HPE’s first customer win for the new platform and builds on the company’s existing relationship with Vultr through the earlier Juniper Networks acquisition.

Demand for high-performance AI infrastructure continues to outpace available capacity, according to Vultr. HPE management described the partnership as part of an open foundation for the next phase of AI buildouts. The announcement arrives as HPE continues to emphasize its role in AI data-center solutions.

Networking Guidance Also Moves Higher

Alongside the Vultr order, HPE lifted its fiscal 2027 networking revenue growth outlook to the high-teens to low-20s percentage range. The company now projects data-center networking revenue to expand at a low-50s to high-50s compound annual growth rate through fiscal 2029. Routing is expected to grow in the low-20s to high-20s range over the same period.

Operating margins for the networking segment are targeted in the mid-to-high 20s percentage range. HPE also raised its expected annual run-rate cost savings from the Juniper deal to $800 million by the end of fiscal 2028. These updates reinforced investor focus on the networking business as a growth engine tied to AI infrastructure demand.

Dell and Super Micro Show Muted Reaction

Dell stock posted a smaller gain on the day, reflecting limited direct overlap with the specific HPE-Vultr announcement. Dell remains a major supplier of AI servers and related infrastructure, yet the session’s move stayed modest compared with HPE’s advance. Super Micro Computer shares edged lower despite the broader AI infrastructure theme.

Both Dell and Super Micro Computer compete in the server and AI systems market, though their product mixes and customer concentrations differ from HPE’s networking-heavy contribution in this particular deal. The muted price action suggests investors viewed the news as more company-specific to HPE than a sector-wide catalyst.

Broader Context and Investor Takeaways

The iShares Semiconductor ETF’s slight decline indicated that chip-related names did not broadly participate in HPE’s rally. AMD itself saw limited movement even though the Helios platform centers on its GPUs. HPE’s combination of a sizable order and higher networking targets helped the stock stand out.

Investors may watch for further AI infrastructure wins and evidence that the raised networking forecasts translate into sustained results. Competition among server and networking suppliers remains intense, and execution on large deployments will matter. Position sizes should stay modest given the volatility that often accompanies AI-related hardware announcements and shifting customer demand.

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David Moadel

David Moadel is financial writer specializing in stocks, ETFs, options, precious metals, and Bitcoin. David has written well over 1,000 articles for leading online publications, helping investors understand markets, income strategies, and risk.His work has appeared in The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, U.S. News & World Report, TipRanks, ValueWalk, Benzinga, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, Finmasters, 24/7 Wall St., and others.With a master’s degree in education, David has taught at the elementary, high school, and college levels. That teaching background shapes his writing style: clear, educational, and practical. David has also built a loyal social-media audience by providing trustworthy financial content on YouTube, X/Twitter, and StockTwits.

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