Dell's AI Orders Surge to $60.9 Billion

Key Takeaways

• <ul><li>Dell booked a record $60.9 billion in AI orders and targets $60 billion in AI server sales for fiscal 2027</li><li>Quanta Services holds a record $53.4 billion backlog driven by AI data center work</li><li>Penguin Solutions posted $275 million in Integrated Memory revenue and raised its growth outlook to 22%</li><li>43% of Heartland small businesses now use AI, with 93% reporting time savings</li><li>Yann LeCun dismisses extinction concerns and criticizes Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei</li><li>Pumpkin's AI agent Poppy generates five times more sales than human dialers</li><li>The Engine's AI sales rep Jessica helped a beta client add $112,000 in monthly recurring revenue</li><li>KENTECH won three South Korean AI programs totaling 48 billion won ($34 million)</li><li>Wiz launched an MSP program for managing cloud and AI security across tenants</li><li>A TIAA survey found 40% of Americans see AI in the workplace as a threat to retirement readiness</li></ul>

Three AI stock picks for October after mixed September

Dell Technologies, Quanta Services, and Forgent Power Solutions are recommended AI infrastructure stocks for October. Dell reported strong fiscal second quarter results with AI server revenue surging 100%. Quanta Services benefits from growing AI data center demand and infrastructure spending. The picks follow a mixed September where the Nasdaq rose 1.9% on AI momentum.

Penguin Solutions sees growing AI backlog

Penguin Solutions entered its fiscal fourth quarter with strong AI-driven backlog as demand outpaces sales. Integrated Memory revenue surged 111% year over year to $275 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. The company raised its fiscal 2026 net sales growth outlook to 22% due to agentic-AI demand. New MemoryAI appliance bookings and expanding customer relationships support future growth.

Three AI momentum stocks recommended for October

Zacks Investment Research recommends Dell Technologies, Quanta Services, and Forgent Power Solutions as AI infrastructure stocks. Dell booked a record $60.9 billion in AI orders in its fiscal second quarter and expects $60 billion in AI server sales for fiscal 2027. Quanta Services has a record $53.4 billion backlog driven by AI data center projects. The recommendations follow a September where the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.9% on AI trading.

Heartland small businesses adopt AI at national rate

A Heartland Forward survey of 691 small business owners found 43% currently use AI. About 70% of those businesses say AI has a positive effect on their finances. Ninety-three percent of AI users say it saves them time, with over half saving five or more hours per week. Eighty-one percent say AI helps them do more with the same staff.

Small business owners adopting AI into daily work

A Heartland Forward survey shows small business owners are beginning to use AI as part of daily operations. The study included 691 small business owners nationwide with an oversample from heartland states. Most AI users report the technology saves time and helps their businesses do more with fewer resources. Focus groups heard directly from owners in seven states about how AI changes their work.

Pumpkin uses AI agent Poppy to handle customer calls

Pet insurer Pumpkin uses a voice AI agent named Poppy to call potential customers. Poppy assesses interest, gathers details, and transfers callers to licensed human agents. The AI agent produces five times more sales than human dialers. Pumpkin designed Poppy to sound warm and consistent while staying within safe topics. Only about 4.3% of pets in the US have insurance, so outreach is important.

Zaperon raises $729K seed for AI identity security

Zaperon, a cybersecurity startup, raised $729,000 in seed funding. The money will support AI-powered identity verification solutions for the agentic AI era. This era involves AI systems acting independently without human help. Zaperon plans to expand its team and develop new products. The funding was led by a prominent venture capital firm.

The Engine launches AI team for content and sales

The Engine, a Scottsdale, Arizona company founded by Nick Perry, plans to launch publicly on October 15, 2026. It uses AI to create content and handle sales conversations for businesses selling high-priced offers. One beta client added over $112,000 in monthly recurring revenue. The system includes an AI voice sales rep named Jessica. The Engine aims to reduce manual work and grow top-line revenue.

KENTECH wins three state AI programs worth 48 billion won

KENTECH was selected for three AI programs from South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT. The combined funding totals about 48 billion won, or $34 million. KENTECH will train master's and doctoral AI specialists and support research by early-career researchers. The focus is combining AI with energy, mobility, and agriculture in the Jeonnam-Gwangju region. Partnerships with KEPCO, TDL, and over 70 companies will support industrial AI transformation.

INEO Tech sees growth from AI retail security systems

INEO Tech reported rapid revenue growth in 2026 driven by AI-powered retail security and analytics systems. The company has patented loss prevention systems with integrated analytics and advertising. Major deployments include Staples and Boots. Expansion efforts are focused on Europe. Recurring revenue is scaling and manufacturing capacity supports further growth.

Wiz launches MSP program for cloud and AI security

Wiz introduced an MSP program that gives managed service providers a single console for managing cloud and AI security across multiple customers. The program uses Wiz Tenant Manager to aggregate security findings, group tenants, and apply baseline policies. It supports on-demand onboarding with flexible consumption and no upfront annual commitments. The company has not released pricing, minimum requirements, or detailed eligibility criteria.

Yann LeCun says he has zero concerns about human extinction from AI

AI researcher Yann LeCun said he has zero concerns about AI causing human extinction or recent rogue AI incidents. He blamed poor human oversight and leaky sandbox design for problems like agents hacking Hugging Face. LeCun also criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and called warnings that AI can kill people destructive and bad for the AI industry. He made the comments during an interview at his new company, AMI Labs.

Americans split on AI and medical advances affecting retirement

A TIAA survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that people are uncertain about how AI and medical advancements will affect retirement costs. About 27 percent think AI will raise healthcare costs, 22 percent think it will lower them, and 20 percent expect little impact. The survey also found that 43 percent of Americans are not confident traditional retirement plans account for longer lifespans. Additionally, 40 percent see AI in the workplace as a threat to retirement readiness.

Sources

• Buy 3 AI-Powered Momentum Stocks for October After a Mixed September
• Penguin Solutions' AI Backlog Grows: Is Future Sales Taking Shape?
• Buy 3 AI-Powered Momentum Stocks for October After a Mixed September
• Heartland Small Businesses Match the Nation on AI Adoption as Owners Say AI Boosts Their Bottom Line
• Small business owners beginning to adopt artificial intelligence, Fed study says
• Why pet insurer Pumpkin leaves customer cold calls to its AI agent
• Dealroom.co | Zaperon raises $729K seed to secure identities in the agentic AI era
• The Engine Plans October 15 Launch of an AI Team That Creates Content and Handles Sales Conversations
• KENTECH Wins Three State AI Programs Worth 48 Billion Won
• INEO Tech: AI-powered retail security and analytics systems drive rapid revenue growth and European expansion
• Wiz Launches MSP Program for Cloud and AI Security
• AI ‘godfather’ Yann LeCun has ‘zero concerns’ about human extinction, says Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is ‘deluded’
• Longer Lives, Uncertain Costs: Americans Split on How Artificial Intelligence and Medical Advancements Will Affect Retirement, TIAA Survey Finds