IBM vs SMCI: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: IBM, with $67.5B of yearly revenue, about 3.1× SMCI's $22.0B.
  • More profitable: IBM keeps 16 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 5 cents at SMCI.
  • More cash from each sale: IBM turns 20 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 8 cents at SMCI.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 3.1× SMCI's $22.0B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and SMCI's 4.8%. The SEC places them in related industries (Computer & office Equipment; Electronic Computers), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
IBM December 31 · SMCI June 30
Reviewed
Aug 31, 2026

IBM vs SMCI: quick comparison

Company factIBMSMCI
CompanyInternational Business Machines CorporationSuper Micro Computer, Inc.
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
HeadquartersArmonk, New York—
Founded1911—
SEC industryComputer & office EquipmentElectronic Computers
Fiscal year-endDecember 31June 30
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-02-2410-K · 2026-08-31

IBM vs SMCI: audited financials

  • Scale: IBM's $67.5B of revenue is about 3.1× SMCI's $22.0B.
  • Net margin: IBM kept 15.7% of revenue as net income versus 4.8% at SMCI.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled IBM 19.5% of revenue, or 1.25× net income; SMCI 7.6% of revenue, or 1.58× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 6 months apart (2025-12-31 for IBM, 2025-06-30 for SMCI), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

IBM: FY ending 2025-12-31 · SMCI: FY ending 2025-06-30. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where IBM and SMCI overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Related SEC industries: both sit in SIC major group 35.
  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.

Differences

  • Different four-digit SIC codes: IBM is 3570 (Computer & office Equipment); SMCI is 3571 (Electronic Computers).
  • Offset fiscal calendars: IBM's year ends December 31 and SMCI's June 30, about 6 months apart.
  • Only SMCI maps to Tariffs & trade.
  • Scale: IBM reported about 3.1× the annual revenue of SMCI.
  • Profitability: net margin of 15.7% for IBM versus 4.8% for SMCI.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

IBM provides hybrid-cloud software, consulting, and mainframe systems to large enterprises and governments. Its Red Hat and watsonx platforms anchor a strategy built around open hybrid cloud and enterprise AI.

Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI)

Super Micro Computer builds high-performance servers and storage systems tailored for AI and data-center workloads.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves IBM

  • Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing
  • Consulting signings, backlog, and book-to-bill
  • The IBM z17 mainframe cycle within Infrastructure
  • Acquisition integration, including HashiCorp and the pending Confluent deal

What moves SMCI

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for SMCI. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-08-31.

The investment question

You now know IBM reports about 3.1× SMCI's revenue, and IBM keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to artificial intelligence, including “Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing” at IBM, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. IBM's fiscal year ends December 31, while SMCI's ends June 30. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 48 matched transaction rows for IBM and 11 matched transaction rows for SMCI. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

IBM vs SMCI FAQs

Are IBM and SMCI direct competitors?

Not necessarily. International Business Machines files as Computer & office Equipment and Super Micro Computer as Electronic Computers. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is IBM or SMCI the bigger company by revenue?

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 3.1× SMCI's $22.0B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and SMCI's 4.8%. The SEC places them in related industries (Computer & office Equipment; Electronic Computers), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, IBM or SMCI?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this IBM vs SMCI comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers International Business Machines Corporation and Super Micro Computer, Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-10-03. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-03. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

IBM vs SMCI compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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