SMCI vs VRT Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Super Micro Computer sells the AI-optimized server hardware itself, competing on speed-to-market and GPU integration with thin margins, while Vertiv sells the power and cooling infrastructure that keeps those AI data centers running, with a more diversified, less GPU-dependent product base. Both are direct beneficiaries of the AI infrastructure buildout but sit at different, complementary layers of the data center supply chain.
Use this SMCI vs VRT comparison to evaluate two different ways to invest in AI data center capital spending. SMCI offers more direct, higher-growth but lower-margin exposure to AI server hardware, while VRT offers steadier, higher-margin exposure to the power and cooling infrastructure that AI data centers require regardless of which server vendor wins.
VRT holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VRT has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+18.97% vs -34.95%), though SMCI has the better forward P/E setup (6.95x vs 28.21x for VRT). On fundamentals, SMCI is growing revenue faster (93.20%), while VRT maintains the higher operating margin (20.36%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for VRT (+31.73%) than for SMCI (+14.53%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want direct exposure to AI server hardware demand tied closely to Nvidia GPU cycles
- Believe direct liquid cooling expertise gives Super Micro a design-win edge in dense AI racks
- Are comfortable with thin hardware margins and past governance/accounting overhang
- Accept higher volatility tied to customer and supplier concentration
- Want diversified, higher-margin exposure to AI data center power and cooling infrastructure
- Believe liquid cooling adoption will keep accelerating as AI rack power density increases
- Prefer a supplier that benefits from AI data center buildouts regardless of which server or chip vendor wins
- Value long-standing hyperscaler relationships over newer, more volatile hardware exposure
| Metric | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 73.6 | 68.2 |
| AI ranki | #26 | #33 |
| Latest closei | $35.09 | $214.75 |
| 1M returni | -1.54% | -8.47% |
| 3M returni | +42.18% | -26.98% |
| 6M returni | +23.56% | -26.99% |
| 1Y returni | -34.95% | +18.97% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $6.52K (-34.8%) started 2025-10-16 | $12.08K (+20.8%) started 2025-10-16 |
| 5Y ago | $100.34K (+903.4%) started 2021-10-18 | $92.48K (+824.8%) started 2021-10-18 |
| 10Y ago | $161.85K (+1518.5%) started 2016-10-17 | $214.96K (+2049.6%) started 2018-08-02 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $24.31B | $98.83B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 11.35 | 57.95 |
| Forward P/Ei | 6.95 | 28.21 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 0.77 | 8.63 |
| Analyst targeti | $42.38 | $338.15 |
| Target upsidei | +14.53% | +31.73% |
| Metric | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 93.20% | 24.10% |
| Earnings growthi | 434.70% | 53.00% |
| EPS growthi | +434.70% | +53.00% |
| FCF margini | -21.12% | +23.49% |
| Operating margini | 13.38% | 20.36% |
| Profit margini | 5.71% | 15.09% |
| ROIC proxyi | 21.47% | 43.94% |
| Return on equityi | 21.47% | 43.94% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | 0.10% |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 5.09% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 1.97 | 2.08 |
| Debt/equityi | 63.95 | 70.17 |
| Current ratioi | 3.87 | 1.38 |
| Quick ratioi | 1.93 | 0.95 |
Over the past year, SMCI and VRT have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.39), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -34.83% | +20.77% |
| CAGRi | -34.87% | +20.81% | |
| Volatilityi | 92.07% | 65.48% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.04 | 0.55 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.06 | 0.81 | |
| Max drawdowni | 62.70% | 42.92% | |
| Current drawdowni | 36.25% | 42.92% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 38.66% | 14.58% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 40.67% | 18.74% | |
| Max daily dropi | 33.32% | 17.26% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 38.27% | 25.94% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +903.43% | +824.85% |
| CAGRi | +58.68% | +56.12% | |
| Volatilityi | 89.22% | 64.10% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.91 | 0.96 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.43 | 1.38 | |
| Max drawdowni | 84.84% | 70.25% | |
| Current drawdowni | 70.46% | 42.92% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 37.73% | 23.78% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 47.20% | 31.74% | |
| Max daily dropi | 33.32% | 36.74% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 45.45% | 43.58% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +1518.54% | +2049.65% |
| CAGRi | +32.11% | +45.34% | |
| Volatilityi | 72.25% | 55.31% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.69 | 0.88 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.05 | 1.27 | |
| Max drawdowni | 84.84% | 71.25% | |
| Current drawdowni | 70.46% | 42.92% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 29.11% | 16.73% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 37.69% | 26.03% | |
| Max daily dropi | 41.12% | 36.74% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 45.45% | 47.70% |
| Category | SMCI | VRT |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Super Micro Computer, Inc. | Vertiv Holdings Co |
| Sector | Technology | Industrials |
| Industry | Computer Hardware | Electrical Equipment & Parts |
| Core business | Designs and manufactures high-performance server and storage systems, including AI-optimized servers built around Nvidia and other accelerator GPUs, with a focus on direct liquid cooling technology for dense AI data center deployments. | Provider of critical digital infrastructure equipment for data centers, including power distribution, thermal management (liquid and air cooling), and monitoring systems used by hyperscalers and colocation providers building out AI capacity. |
| Investor focus | AI server order growth and backlog, gross margin trends amid intense hardware competition, GPU allocation and supply relationships, and continued resolution of past governance and accounting concerns. | Order growth and backlog tied to AI data center buildouts, liquid cooling adoption rates, margin expansion, and capacity to keep pace with hyperscaler capital spending cycles. |
- Early and deep integration with Nvidia's latest GPU platforms gives it a design-win advantage in AI server builds
- Direct liquid cooling expertise positions it well for increasingly dense, high-power AI server racks
- Vertically integrated manufacturing model allows faster time-to-market for new server configurations
- Broad, diversified critical infrastructure product portfolio spanning power and thermal management for data centers
- Well positioned for the industry-wide shift toward liquid cooling as AI rack power density increases
- Long-standing relationships with hyperscalers and colocation providers built over decades of data center infrastructure supply
- Legacy governance and accounting scrutiny that previously led to delisting risk and restated filings
- Thin hardware margins and intense competition from Dell, HPE, and other large server OEMs
- Customer and supplier concentration risk tied to a small number of large AI infrastructure buyers and GPU suppliers
- Order growth sensitivity to hyperscaler capital expenditure cycles, which can slow abruptly if AI spending plans shift
- Competitive pressure from other thermal management and power infrastructure vendors entering the AI data center market
- Supply chain and component cost inflation risk affecting margins on large multi-year contracts
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