Stock Market Today, Sept. 3: HPE Jumps 5%, Raises Fiscal Outlook on Record AI Server Demand

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE), an enterprise server, networking, storage, and AI infrastructure provider, closed at $54.44, up 5.03%. Investors focused on supply bottlenecks after a strong earnings beat and raised guidance, while watching AI server demand and the next earnings call. Trading volume reached 68.4M shares, coming in about 208% above its three-month average of 22.2M shares. Hewlett Packard Enterprise IPO'd in 2015 and has grown 466% since going public.

How the markets moved today

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) rose 1.07% to 7,748, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) gained 1.40% to 26,584. Among enterprise hardware, networking, storage, and hybrid cloud infrastructure peers, Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) closed at $515.94, up 4.82%, while Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) closed at $108.61, down 0.78%, showing mixed trading in AI infrastructure names.

What this means for investors

If investors are worried that the AI boom might be short-lived, HPE's Q2 results show it may not stall anytime soon. HPE soared past analysts' expectations, with sales and adjusted earnings per share rising 34% and 66%. The company also raised 2026 and 2027 sales growth guidance to between 34% and 37%, and 13% and 17%, respectively.

HPE's networking unit stole the show, growing revenue by 75%, headlined by its data center networking unit up 112%, routing business soaring 270%, and security segment spiking 76%. Meanwhile, in the company's Cloud and AI unit, its server business rose 35% -- impressive growth for the company's largest business segment.

Antonio Neri, president and CEO of HPE, explained, "AI is becoming a multi-year growth driver for HPE, and our differentiated portfolio positions us to capture that opportunity at scale." Trading at 14 times forward adjusted earnings, HPE could be a reasonably priced growth stock for investors who believe this growth reacceleration is here to stay for a few years or more.

Josh Kohn-Lindquist has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Cisco Systems and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.