Financial report outlook | Can Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C (DELL.US) performance restore investor confidence in the hardware industry against the headwind?

Computer hardware and IT solutions company Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C (DELL.US) is set to report earnings after market close this Tuesday. Analysts expect Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C's revenue for the third quarter to increase by 11.2% year-on-year to $27.1 billion, an improvement from last year's 9.5% growth. Adjusted earnings per share are expected to be $2.48. In the past 30 days, analysts covering the company have generally reaffirmed their estimates, indicating that they expect the performance to meet expectations. Over the past two years, Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C has missed Wall Street revenue expectations three times. In the previous quarter, Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C reported revenue of $29.78 billion, a 19% year-on-year increase, beating analysts' expectations by 1.9%. The company had a strong performance in that quarter, with revenue guidance for the next quarter exceeding analysts' expectations and full-year revenue guidance also higher than forecasts. Looking at the performance of peers in the hardware and infrastructure sector, some companies have already reported third-quarter results, providing a reference for the market. Diebold Nixdorf Inc. (DBD.US) reported a 2% increase in revenue, exceeding estimates by 1.7%, leading to a cumulative increase of 16.6% in stock price after the earnings release. The industry outlook for 2025 is still overshadowed by potential changes in trade policies and discussions on corporate tax reform, which could impact business confidence and growth. While some hardware and infrastructure stocks have shown stability in a tumultuous environment, the sector as a whole has performed poorly, with average stock prices falling by 8.3% in the past month. Dell Technologies, Inc. Class C's stock price has fallen by 24% during the same period, with the current average analyst target price at $162.38 (current price $123.06).