Dell Q2: $51.3 Billion In Backlog; Now Show Me The Profits

With $51.3 billion of AI backlog and $24.4 billion of quarterly AI orders, I think the market has moved beyond the demand question. I want to see whether that growth can lift profits as lower-margin AI servers become a bigger part of the mix. Management raised FY27 revenue guidance by $27 billion at the midpoint last quarter. Some analysts expect another raise in Q2. I wouldn't be surprised to see one. Whether the market reacts similarly to the Q1 release is a completely different thing. I want ISG margins to improve from last quarter’s 10.5%. Overall, I remain neutral on this name. I don't see a compelling buying opportunity heading into the print, as I think the market's focus may be on margins.

I liked the core ideas of deep value investors, and I briefly followed that philosophy. However, it demands patience, and the AI supercycle broke whatever patience I had left. The market changed, and so did I. My style is not set in stone. I’m mostly long when the music is playing. When it stops/slows down, I may dabble with shorts via put options, although it’s not my forte. My style is highly speculative. I have a high risk tolerance that most rational investors would find alarming. I don’t have a favorite timeframe. That said, I trade mostly the mid-term and the short-term. I have a pathetic low six-digit portfolio, and I consider myself part of the mid to low end of the K-shaped economy. It sometimes drops to the five-digit range when life has other plans. I've been in the game since mid 2024, although my first dabbles with stocks (i.e., burning $100 trading accounts in a matter of days) go back to the early/mid 2010s. I have a B.Sc. in aeronautical engineering and experience as a consultant in the aerospace sector. The latter statement is not relevant to my investment style, but I thought to add it for self-indulgent purposes. I live on the wrong side of the Atlantic. The opening bell is my lunch bell. I like astrology, so I’m a follower of technical analysis (mainly trends and support/resistance/psychological levels). I also look at the fundamentals of individual names, although the theme and the macro often prevail in my decision-making. I dislike empty suits, high-level BS, deep-level BS (especially), unnecessary jargon, and self-indulgent, third-person written introductions with an air of superiority.