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AI Infrastructure Demand Remains Red-Hot: HPE, AVGO, DELL Deliver

By Derek Lewis | September 03, 2026, 6:02 PM

The AI trade remains alive and well, with Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE, Broadcom AVGO, and Dell Technologies DELL all recently posting strong quarterly results.

AI infrastructure spending was the clear theme across all releases, with demand remaining robust for servers, networking, and custom accelerators. Still, market reactions have been mixed, indicating that expectations remain sky-high for many AI-focused names.

Let’s take a closer look at the results.

HPE Raises Its Outlook

Hewlett Packard Enterprise posted record quarterly revenue of $12.2 billion, reflecting 34% YoY growth. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.11 per share, climbing sharply from $0.44 in the same period last year and exceeding the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate by nearly 17%.

Cloud & AI revenue reached $9.0 billion, up 25% YoY, with Server revenue climbing 35% to $6.8 billion. Networking results were even stronger, with revenue jumping 75% to $2.9 billion. Data Center Networking revenue more than doubled, while Routing revenue climbed 270%.

Importantly, the demand picture remains bright. AI Systems orders reached $2.4 billion during the quarter, with backlog climbing to $6.8 billion. HPE also raised its FY26 revenue growth outlook to 34%-37% and now expects adjusted EPS of $3.75-$3.85. Looking further ahead, management boosted its FY27 revenue growth outlook to 13%-17%, paired with expected adjusted EPS growth of 16%-20%.

The numbers were undoubtedly positive, though supply constraints and the lower-margin nature of some AI systems remain items to keep in mind. Still, the raised outlook and favorable Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) reflect a constructive earnings picture overall.

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Broadcom’s AI Growth Accelerates

Broadcom delivered another monster quarter, posting $29.6 billion in revenue, up 86% YoY. Adjusted EPS of $3.32 grew 96% from the year-ago period and came in 3% above the Zacks Consensus estimate.

To little surprise, AI again stole the show. AI semiconductor revenue reached $16.7 billion, surging 221% YoY and 54% sequentially as demand for custom accelerators and networking products remained red-hot. Semiconductor Solutions revenue overall climbed 127% to $20.8 billion, while Infrastructure Software revenue rose 29% to $8.8 billion.

And the momentum isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon. Broadcom expects AI semiconductor revenue of $21.7 billion next quarter, reflecting 236% YoY growth, with total revenue forecasted at roughly $34.8 billion. Management has also outlined roughly $115 billion of AI semiconductor revenue for FY27, with the longer-term opportunity potentially reaching $230 billion in FY28.

Interestingly enough, shares traded lower following the release despite the eye-popping growth. Expectations for Broadcom have clearly become massive, making even great results a tough act to follow. AVGO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), with the earnings-revision picture worth watching following the release.

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Dell’s AI Backlog Surges

Dell Technologies arguably posted the most impressive results of the group, with shares surging following the release.

Revenue climbed 58% YoY to a record $47.0 billion, while adjusted EPS of $7.04 reflected growth of more than 200% and crushed the Zacks Consensus estimate. Infrastructure Solutions Group revenue jumped 89% to $31.8 billion, with segment operating income soaring 225% to $4.8 billion.

AI-Optimized Server revenue doubled to $16.4 billion, but the order and backlog figures were perhaps even more impressive. Dell booked a record $60.9 billion of AI server orders during the quarter and exited with a massive $95 billion backlog, providing strong top line visibility.

The strength wasn’t isolated to AI, either. Traditional Servers and Networking revenue jumped 122%, Storage revenue grew 26%, and Client Solutions Group sales climbed 20%. Dell raised its FY27 revenue outlook by $25 billion to $192 billion while boosting its AI-Optimized Server revenue expectation to $74 billion from $60 billion previously.

DELL currently sports a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), with the combination of accelerating AI demand, a huge backlog, and raised guidance providing a rock-solid near-term backdrop.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Bottom Line

The latest results from Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE, Broadcom AVGO, and Dell Technologies DELL further strengthened the AI infrastructure growth story.

Demand remains robust across several areas of the buildout, ranging from Dell and HPE’s AI servers and networking offerings to Broadcom’s custom accelerators and networking chips. And importantly, all three provided upbeat forward-looking commentary alongside their strong quarterly growth.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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