Nvidia, the renowned chipmaker, reached a significant milestone as its market cap surpassed $1 trillion at Tuesday’s opening, placing it among a select group of primarily technology companies. To maintain this distinction throughout the day, Nvidia’s shares must remain above $404.86.
Although the stock experienced a slight decline in late afternoon trading, falling just below the trillion-dollar valuation, it still held on to a fresh 52-week high. Last week, Nvidia’s shares surged after the company reported quarterly earnings that surpassed consensus estimates by a significant margin, both in terms of revenue and profitability. This surge not only boosted other chipmakers but also led to a more optimistic outlook than expected.
An important factor contributing to Nvidia’s rise was its projection of $11 billion in sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, which was 50% higher than the consensus estimate of $7.15 billion.
The chip industry, certain segments of the tech sector, and the Nasdaq have experienced a remarkable year, driven in part by the artificial intelligence frenzy and the potential slowdown of Federal Reserve rate hikes. Alongside Nvidia, companies like Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft also witnessed significant gains in last week’s trading.
Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) play a critical role in generative AI platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. While the company has long been a leader in discrete or stand-alone GPUs, consumer perception used to primarily associate GPUs with intensive gaming. However, the emergence of cryptocurrency mining and AI has changed this perception, leading to a substantial increase in share prices for GPU manufacturers and suppliers, including Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
In contrast, Intel, which has faced challenges related to inventory and development, has traditionally focused on central processing units (CPUs) for the chip market. As a result, Intel has not shared in the same wave of investor interest as its GPU-focused counterparts.
