AMD forecasts 2027 sales above estimates as data-center business booms

On November 3, AMD forecasted stronger-than-anticipated growth for 2027, citing a surge in data-center sales and its ongoing competition with Nvidia. This forecast, which sent AMD's shares up by 8% in extended trading, comes as a strong contrast to rising doubts about the AI boom's longevity, and eases investors' worries following Intel's weak outlook last week.

Analysts had estimated an 80% growth in AMD's overall revenue for 2027, which exceeds the 77% growth forecasted by experts. According to AMD CEO Lisa Su, 80% of sales in 2027 will be from data-center chips, driving most revenue and profit growth.

AMD's data-center revenue skyrocketed by 97% to $8.55 billion in the third quarter, surpassing expectations of $8.20 billion. For the fourth quarter, AMD anticipates revenue of around $17 billion, within a 3% range, which is higher than the average analyst estimate of $16.23 billion. AMD's chips are expected to gain further momentum from the growing AI data-center buildout, which has been in development for several years.

Portfolio manager Hendi Susanto at Gabelli Funds believes AMD's resilience amid broader AI-related market pressure indicates its technology leadership and potential for increased market share. Analyst Bob O'Donnell from TECHnalysis Research adds that AMD's results confirm its position in AI infrastructure and its potential to gain market share in the PC market. AMD's adjusted gross margin is expected to be around 55%, consistent with estimates of 55.27% and down from 56% in the third quarter.