The Best Servers Stocks Right Now (Updated May 2026)
These three server-related stocks offer different ways to play AI infrastructure, with Super Micro ranking first for its direct exposure and rapid growth.
Servers sit at the physical heart of the AI and cloud buildout, which is why this corner of the market still matters even after a huge run in infrastructure spending. Demand is being pulled by both training and inference workloads, while enterprise buyers are also refreshing older fleets for better power efficiency, thermal performance, and faster deployment. That makes server-related companies more than a cyclical hardware trade: they are increasingly tied to how quickly data centers can absorb new compute demand.
The theme spans several layers. There are direct OEM and server integrators, storage-adjacent infrastructure vendors, and networking companies that sell into the same racks and data-center architectures. Super Micro is the clearest pure-play on server and storage systems tied to GPU, HPC, and rack-scale deployments. Cisco offers broader infrastructure exposure but still has meaningful data-center and server relevance through UCS and related platforms. NetApp is more storage-centric, yet modern server deployments are tightly linked to storage and data-management architecture.
A recent industry signal backing the theme is Super Micro’s continued disclosure of strong demand for GPU and rack-scale systems, including liquid-cooled and air-cooled servers tied to NVIDIA H200, H100, and B200 platforms. For investors, that reinforces a simple point: AI spending is still flowing into hardware layers, not just software. Below, we rank three server-related stocks in countdown order from No. 3 to No. 1, using investment quality as the main criterion.
For this list, we focused on U.S.-listed companies with market capitalizations above $500 million that have meaningful exposure to servers, data-center infrastructure, or adjacent storage and networking layers. We then ranked them primarily on investment quality, balancing profitability, growth, earnings execution, valuation context, and our composite quality grade. Because this is a countdown, the most compelling name on that mix appears last at No. 1 rather than first.
What they do. The company designs and sells a broad portfolio of networking, security, collaboration, observability, and data-center technologies, plus services and support. Cisco is not a pure server manufacturer, but its data-center switching, connectivity, and related offerings give it a durable position in enterprise and service-provider infrastructure, with revenue spread across hardware, software, subscriptions, and services.
Why it fits. Cisco earns a place on a servers list because server deployments do not happen in isolation; they require switching, connectivity, security, and rack-level architecture that tie directly into data-center buildouts. Its exposure is more diversified than a pure-play server name, which can make it a steadier large-cap way to participate in enterprise and hyperscale infrastructure spending.
Numbers that matter. Cisco generated $60.75 billion in revenue with a 19.69% profit margin and $17.01 billion in EBITDA. Profitability is a clear strength: gross margin was 64.3%, operating margin was 24.99%, net margin was 19.69%, ROE was 25.23%, and ROA was 7.34%. Growth has improved as well, with revenue up 12.0% year over year and earnings up 37.1%, while forward valuation at 25.19 times earnings is notably lower than the 40.14 trailing P/E. The trade-off is that this is no bargain on headline multiples, which helps explain why Cisco ranks third rather than higher.
Recent momentum. Cisco has beaten earnings estimates in 7 of its last 7 reported quarters. Most recently, it posted EPS of 1.06 on May 13, 2026, versus a 1.04 estimate, a 1.9% surprise, after a 2.0% beat in February. Analyst sentiment is still measured rather than aggressive, with 5 Buy, 10 Hold, and 1 Sell ratings, which fits the profile of a high-quality but less theme-pure name.
What they do. The company provides enterprise data infrastructure through storage systems, data-management software, cloud storage services, and professional support. Its portfolio spans ONTAP software, all-flash arrays, SAN systems, StorageGRID, and public-cloud offerings, giving NetApp a hybrid model that combines hardware, software, and recurring services around data management.
Why it fits. NetApp is more storage-centric than server-centric, but that still makes it relevant to this theme because server expansion usually requires tightly integrated storage, backup, replication, and data-mobility layers. In AI and enterprise environments, compute nodes are only as useful as the surrounding data infrastructure, and NetApp’s all-flash and hybrid-cloud stack gives it a practical role in those deployments.
Numbers that matter. NetApp produced $6.71 billion in revenue with an 18.07% profit margin and $1.75 billion in EBITDA. Its profitability is especially strong for infrastructure hardware and software: gross margin was 70.5%, operating margin was 25.16%, net margin was 18.07%, ROE was 112.59%, and ROA was 10.27%. Growth is steadier than explosive, with revenue up 4.4% year over year and earnings up 16.0%, but the valuation remains more moderate than many AI-linked names at 22.43 times trailing earnings and 16.23 times forward earnings. That combination of margins and valuation is why NetApp ranks ahead of Cisco.
Recent momentum. NetApp has beaten earnings estimates in 7 of its last 8 quarters. The latest report on May 28, 2026 was particularly strong, with EPS of 2.43 versus a 2.27 estimate, a 7.0% surprise, following a 2.9% beat in February and a 9.0% beat in November 2025. Analysts remain cautious despite that execution, with 2 Buy and 11 Hold ratings, suggesting the market is still debating how much of the recent strength is sustainable.
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This monthly screen starts with U.S.-listed companies above $500 million in market value that have meaningful exposure to servers, data-center hardware, storage infrastructure, or adjacent networking layers. From there, we rank candidates by investment quality, emphasizing profitability, growth, earnings consistency, valuation context, analyst sentiment, and our composite quality grade. Because the list is refreshed regularly, spot prices can move quickly, so the write-ups lean on more durable business and financial metrics rather than short-lived trading action. The final presentation is a countdown, with the strongest overall pick reserved for No. 1.
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