Supermicro, Nvidia Reportedly Face DOJ Scrutiny In Separate Inquiries — SMCI Stock Plunges

What happened

A Semafor report said the U.S. Department of Justice has several inquiries involving Nvidia, Supermicro and Megaspeed International, including an antitrust inquiry into Nvidia and a separate inquiry focused on Supermicro. Bloomberg separately reported an inquiry into possible smuggling of Supermicro products into China. Supermicro shares fell more than 12% on Thursday.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Possible scrutiny of Nvidia’s competition practices could create legal costs or limit business choices if authorities take action. An inquiry into suspected product smuggling could also raise compliance costs for Supermicro and disrupt sales if shipments or customer relationships face restrictions; no findings or charges are reported.

Analyst inference

The article reports inquiries, not established wrongdoing, and says there was no indication of criminal charges against Nvidia or Jensen Huang at that time. It also reports Jensen Huang’s resignation and an interim CEO appointment, adding leadership uncertainty alongside regulatory questions for Nvidia.

Confirmed

What to watch

1. Look for any DOJ statements or formal actions clarifying the scope and status of the Nvidia antitrust inquiry; these would indicate whether the review is moving toward enforcement. Analyst inference
2. Watch for clarification on whether the reported smuggling inquiry concerns shipments, which means product movements into China, and whether authorities identify any restrictions or charges. Analyst inference
3. Track Nvidia’s permanent CEO appointment after CFO Colette Kress became interim CEO, and any company disclosures about leadership transition or regulatory inquiries. Analyst inference

Evidence

• stocktwits.com