AMD is gearing up to report its fiscal second-quarter 2026 earnings on August 4, and the numbers heading into the print look like the kind of report card you actually want to show your parents. The chipmaker’s data center segment posted $5.8 billion in revenue during Q1, a 57% jump year-over-year, and guidance for Q2 suggests the momentum isn’t slowing down.
The company projects approximately $11.2 billion in total revenue for the quarter, representing around 46% year-over-year growth. Server CPU revenue alone is expected to surge more than 70% compared to the same period last year.
The AI infrastructure engine
EPYC server processors and Instinct GPU accelerators are driving the bulk of the data center growth, with both seeing accelerating demand as hyperscalers and enterprise customers race to deploy AI workloads at scale.
Non-GAAP gross margins are expected to land around 56% for the quarter, reflecting the mix shift toward higher-margin data center products.
The company has reportedly been working on two major projects heading into the earnings report. While specifics remain under wraps, the broader expectation is that these initiatives are tied to next-generation AI accelerators and server CPU architectures.
What investors should watch on August 4
The headline revenue number matters, but watch the data center segment breakdown closely. The $5.8 billion Q1 figure set a high bar, and any sequential acceleration would signal that AMD is gaining share faster than expected in the AI accelerator market.
Gross margin trajectory is the other key metric. The expected 56% non-GAAP figure is healthy, but if margins expand beyond that target, it would suggest AMD’s product mix is shifting toward even higher-value AI chips.
Guidance for the second half of 2026 will likely move the stock more than the actual Q2 results. Investors want to know whether the 70%-plus server CPU growth rate is sustainable or whether it’s a one-quarter phenomenon driven by inventory builds.