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Robert.Anderson


Marvell Technology's Growth Potential in Data Centers and AI Field

2023-09-08

Marvell Technology recently held its earnings call meeting to discuss the company's financial performance and outlook. The meeting featured insights from key executives, including Matt Murphy, Chairman and CEO, Willem Meintjes, CFO, and Ashish Saran, Vice President of Investor Relations.

One of the most significant topics discussed during the meeting was the growth potential of Marvell's cloud infrastructure and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the company's business. The CEO highlighted the data center segment as the largest portion of Marvell's design opportunity pipeline, with the AI portion continuing to grow and becoming increasingly significant.

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Marvell's growth in the data center business is attributed to a combination of technologies, including PAM products, AEC offerings, custom compute silicon programs, and Ethernet switching platforms. The company is also exploring new technologies such as silicon photonics for data centers.

To capitalize on this growth, Marvell aims to engage deeply with big cloud customers and partners in the ecosystem. The goal is to position the company as a comprehensive solution provider for processing, moving, storing, and securing data within the cloud. This strategic approach aims to differentiate Marvell and optimize data center architectures for customers in terms of cost, power efficiency, and performance.

The meeting also highlighted the potential for growth in Marvell's Electro-Optical business tied to AI. This indicates that Marvell's expansion in the AI field extends beyond data center solutions, presenting additional opportunities for the company.

Overall, Marvell's focus on the data center business and AI presents a significant growth opportunity. By leveraging a combination of technologies and deep engagement with cloud customers, Marvell aims to position itself as a leading solution provider in the industry. The potential for growth in the Electro-Optical business further adds to the company's prospects in the AI field.

The market outlook for Marvell is positive, with growth expected in various end markets. The carrier end market is projected to see revenue increase, driven by wireless. The enterprise networking end market is currently experiencing a decline in revenue due to inventory corrections, but this is expected to be resolved in the next few quarters. The automotive and industrial end market is showing strong growth, with revenue increasing significantly. The consumer end market also saw growth, although slightly below guidance due to rescheduled deliveries. Overall, the company is forecasting revenue growth to accelerate in the third quarter, accompanied by gross margin expansion. Demand from AI applications is also strengthening.

During the meeting, the key drivers of Marvell's business were discussed. These include the recovery in the standard cloud infrastructure side of connectivity, technological advancements, AI-related products and services, regional data center products, and increasing bandwidth demand.

Marvell's plans for their product and service offerings include driving cloud growth in the standard cloud infrastructure side of connectivity, transitioning technologies to deliver higher bandwidth at a relatively lower price, incorporating AI into their overall infrastructure build, expanding regional data center products, introducing new products to address data center bandwidth bottlenecks, and anticipating tremendous opportunities in both the cloud and data center markets.

The meeting also highlighted several important key performance indicators (KPIs) for Marvell, including cloud infrastructure, technology transition, average selling price (ASP) bump, regional data center products, generative AI, and cash flow. These KPIs were discussed in relation to the company's growth and performance.

Looking ahead, Marvell's outlook for the quarter is positive, with expectations of improving gross margin in the third quarter and a significant increase in the fourth quarter. The company aims to return non-GAAP gross margin to the bottom end of their long-term model in the fourth quarter. They have also accelerated their cost-reduction plan and are on track to execute the remainder of the plan by the end of the fiscal year.

In conclusion, Marvell Technology's earnings call meeting provided valuable insights into the company's growth potential in the data center business and AI field. With a focus on leveraging technology, engaging with cloud customers, and expanding their product offerings, Marvell aims to position itself as a leading solution provider in the industry. The positive market outlook and the company's plans for product and service expansion further support Marvell's prospects for future growth.