The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Xerox (NASDAQ: XRX) and the rest of the hardware & infrastructure stocks fared in Q4.

The Hardware & Infrastructure sector will be buoyed by demand related to AI adoption, cloud computing expansion, and the need for more efficient data storage and processing solutions. Companies with tech offerings such as servers, switches, and storage solutions are well-positioned in our new hybrid working and IT world. On the other hand, headwinds include ongoing supply chain disruptions, rising component costs, and intensifying competition from cloud-native and hyperscale providers reducing reliance on traditional hardware. Additionally, regulatory scrutiny over data sovereignty, cybersecurity standards, and environmental sustainability in hardware manufacturing could increase compliance costs.

The 9 hardware & infrastructure stocks we track reported a very strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 9.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

While some hardware & infrastructure stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 1.3% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q4: Xerox (NASDAQ: XRX)

Pioneering the modern office copier and inventing technologies like Ethernet and the laser printer, Xerox (NASDAQ: XRX) provides document management systems, printing technology, and workplace solutions to businesses of all sizes across the globe.

Xerox reported revenues of $2.03 billion, up 25.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Xerox delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 36.5% since reporting and currently trades at $1.48.

Read our full report on Xerox here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Super Micro (NASDAQ: SMCI)

Founded in Silicon Valley in 1993 and known for its modular "building block" approach to server design, Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) designs and manufactures high-performance, energy-efficient server and storage systems for data centers, cloud computing, AI, and edge computing applications.

Super Micro reported revenues of $12.68 billion, up 123% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 21.5%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 6.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $31.54.

Is now the time to buy Super Micro? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

HP (NYSE: HPQ)

Born from the legendary Silicon Valley garage startup founded by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in 1939, HP (NYSE: HPQ) designs and sells personal computers, printers, and related technology products and services to consumers, businesses, and enterprises worldwide.

HP reported revenues of $14.44 billion, up 6.9% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also posted a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 3.5% since the results and currently trades at $18.84.

Read our full analysis of HP’s results here.

Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD)

With roots dating back to 1859 and a presence in over 100 countries, Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD) provides automated self-service technology, software, and services that help banks and retailers digitize their customer transactions.

Diebold Nixdorf reported revenues of $1.10 billion, up 11.7% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. It was a very strong quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $72.76.

Read our full, actionable report on Diebold Nixdorf here, it’s free.

NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP)

Founded in 1992 as a pioneer in networked storage technology, NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) provides data storage and management solutions that help organizations store, protect, and optimize their data across on-premises data centers and public clouds.

NetApp reported revenues of $1.71 billion, up 4.4% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ billings estimates and revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations.

NetApp delivered the highest full-year guidance raise but had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 2.7% since reporting and currently trades at $101.84.

Read our full, actionable report on NetApp here, it’s free.

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