Super Micro Computer (SMCI -6.79%) is getting hit with another round of big sell-offs Friday. The company’s share price was down 5.5% as of 3:15 p.m. ET, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Supermicro, as the company is sometimes called, saw its stock pull back following another bearish piece of coverage from a big name on Wall Street. Adding another source of selling pressure, today’s jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor arrived with weaker-than-expected results.
J.P. Morgan no longer has a bullish rating on Supermicro stock
In a report published before the market opened today, J.P. Morgan lowered its rating on Super Micro Computer from overweight to neutral. J.P. Morgan’s analysts also lowered their one-year price target on Supermicro stock from $950 per share to $500 per share. Despite the downgrade, the new target would still suggest upside of roughly 28% based on the stock’s current price.
J.P. Morgan’s analysts said that the decision to downgrade the stock was not directly related to the short report that was published by Hindenburg Research earlier this month. They also said that the downward revision was not driven by concerns that Supermicro would have trouble getting back into compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations, following the delayed filing of its annual 10-K report. Instead, the rating and price-target cuts were driven by a seeming lack of near-term catalysts for new investors to jump into the stock, and concerns about sales and pricing pressures from competition.
The latest jobs data is also dragging Supermicro stock lower
Investors were looking to today’s jobs report from the Labor Department for indicators about the health of the U.S. economy, and they weren’t happy with the results. Analysts and economists had already started to lower their expectations for August’s jobs numbers; the average estimate was that 160,000 jobs were added last month. But the report showed that only 142,000 jobs were actually added in the period.
The August jobs numbers have added to concerns that the U.S. economy could be on track for a recession. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates later this month, which should be a positive catalyst for economic activity, but some observers are worried it may not be enough to avoid economic contraction. Investors have been looking to interest-rate cuts as a key bullish catalyst for the stock market, but the specter of a possible recession has taken the shine off of the Fed’s anticipated policy shift.
As a result, Super Micro Computer and other growth stocks are seeing outsized sell-offs today. But if you’re risk-tolerant, Supermicro stock could be a worthwhile addition to your portfolio.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.