It's been a topsy-turvy year for Super Micro Computer ( SMCI 0.53%). Once seen as the next big artificial intelligence (AI) stock, it has come crashing down to reality in recent months due to concerns about the reliability of its numbers and accounting controls.

Dividend stocks can be your best friend in retirement -- especially when their payouts allow you to cover your living expenses without selling shares. The company has grown its earnings at a 4.4% annualized pace over the past five years, and analysts estimate it will grow them by 3.5% annually over the next three to five years.

Super Micro Computer was up 0.8% in premarket trading after the artificial-intelligence server maker fell 4.1%, making it Monday’s worst performer in the S&P 500. The volatile stock, up 7.9% in 2024 heading into Tuesday,