[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] Super Micro Computer unveiled a profitability outlook that far exceeded expectations and a record volume of new orders, sending its shares up 15 percent in a single day. As demand for artificial intelligence servers continues to expand, confirmation of a large order backlog quickly improved investor sentiment.

CNBC reported on Monday that Super Micro, in a preliminary update, forecast gross margin and adjusted gross margin of 15 to 17 percent for fiscal 2026 fourth quarter ended June 30.

That is well above the previous guidance of 8.2 to 8.4 percent it presented in May. The company cited a "favorable customer and product mix" as the reason for the improved profitability. That means margins improved more than expected as the share of high-profit AI server products and major customers increased.

It kept its revenue outlook unchanged. The company expects June-quarter revenue to be near the low end of the $11.0 billion to $12.5 billion range. The forecast is somewhat conservative compared with the market consensus of $11.67 billion, but investors paid more attention to the scale of the profitability improvement.

Order results also beat market expectations. Super Micro said its backlog as of June 30 hit a record, and that new orders secured in fiscal fourth quarter exceeded $60 billion. It explained that the orders will be recognised as revenue sequentially over multiple future quarters.

Strong demand in the AI server market is also underpinning results. Super Micro is positioning AI servers equipped with Nvidia GPUs as a key growth driver and is cited as a representative beneficiary of expanding data centre investment driven by the spread of generative AI.

The expectations also affected rivals' share prices. In after-hours trading, Dell Technologies rose about 5 percent and Hewlett Packard Enterprise rose about 4 percent, reflecting optimism across the AI server market.

Market attention has also turned to the possibility of cooperation with Elon Musk. Charles Liang (찰스 량), Super Micro's chief executive officer, said last month on X that he was proud the company would additionally build a new gigawatt-class AI data centre for SpaceX and xAI within a year. The remarks were interpreted as suggesting that expanding investment in AI infrastructure is leading to major contracts.

The company also stressed that large orders do not immediately translate into results. With this quarter's revenue expected to be near the low end rather than the high end of guidance, the market is watching the pace at which new orders convert to revenue and whether high margins can be sustained.

Super Micro plans to hold an earnings conference call on Aug. 11. Investors are expected to focus on the customer mix and delivery schedules for the $60 billion in new orders, whether demand for AI servers will remain solid, and whether the profitability improvement is temporary.