NVIDIA

Tuesday’s market showed mixed results: S&P 500 and Dow gained, but Nasdaq dipped due to Big Tech weakness. Nvidia fell on Meta’s potential Google TPU use, boosting Broadcom. Meta’s move highlights AI chip competition and potential shift to customized silicon. Portfolio diversification is key; defensive stocks like P&G are attractive amid volatility. Home Depot presents long-term potential with anticipated rate cuts. Nike rose as Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Foot Locker closures consolidated market share, signaling improved collaboration.

Nvidia defends its AI technology leadership against rising competition from companies developing in-house AI chips like Google. Despite a recent stock dip driven by reports of Meta potentially using Google’s TPUs, Nvidia asserts its platform is a generation ahead, offering superior performance and versatility compared to ASICs. While Google’s TPUs are powerful and optimized for its workloads, Nvidia emphasizes the broader utility of its GPUs across various AI models. Google’s Gemini 3, trained on TPUs, showcases the increasing viability of non-Nvidia hardware, presenting a challenge to Nvidia’s market dominance.

Nvidia’s stock dip, triggered by Meta’s potential use of Google TPUs and AI valuation concerns, creates a buying opportunity. Despite Meta’s evaluation, Nvidia’s GPUs remain the gold standard for many AI applications. The company’s Blackwell platform and Vera Rubin chips ensure continued innovation. Strong AI demand, driven by generative AI and broader adoption, supports Nvidia’s growth. While cost sensitivity exists, Nvidia’s performance justifies its premium, offering long-term value. The pullback appears temporary, given Nvidia’s leadership and ecosystem.

Nvidia’s stock fell after a report that Meta is considering using Google’s TPUs in its data centers, potentially by 2027, and renting TPU capacity from Google Cloud as early as next year. Alphabet’s shares rose, highlighting Google’s gain at Nvidia’s expense in the AI infrastructure market. This move reflects Meta’s efforts to diversify its AI infrastructure and control costs. Broadcom, a TPU partner, also saw gains. While Nvidia dominates the GPU market, Google’s TPUs present growing competition, driven by a desire to avoid reliance on a single supplier.

Wall Street experienced a volatile week driven by Nvidia’s earnings, a strong U.S. jobs report, but ended with a potential positive signal. The S&P 500 and Dow declined ~2%, Nasdaq -2.7%. Hope emerged from a Federal Reserve official hinting at potential rate cuts, bolstered by Alphabet’s AI advancements and Eli Lilly’s market cap milestone, indicating diversification. A rebound occurred Friday, but major indexes ended the week negatively. Key news included a Qube Holdings takeover proposal, US Treasury’s economic outlook, Singapore inflation, China tech investments amid trade tensions, and increasing Chinese consumer brand expansion in Africa.

Wall Street had a volatile week due to Nvidia’s earnings and a strong jobs report. While the “Magnificent Seven” declined, Alphabet showed strength due to its AI model Gemini 3. Eli Lilly’s $1 trillion valuation highlighted diversification beyond tech. NY Fed President Williams hinted at potential interest rate adjustments. Japanese concerts in China were abruptly canceled amid escalating tensions. Investors should focus on diversification across sectors.

Recent market turbulence, driven by AI stock valuations, highlights conflicting views on capital expenditure depreciation and asset lifecycles. Some rely on traditional models predicting rapid asset devaluation, while Nvidia’s Huang and AMD’s Su argue for longer usable lifespans due to software improvements and demonstrable returns on investment. The debate centers on whether conventional valuation models adequately capture AI’s disruptive potential. The long-term outlook for AI remains strong, particularly for companies with visionary leadership and robust fundamentals. A balanced approach considering both financial metrics and technological innovation is crucial.

Despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s optimistic outlook on chip sales and AI’s potential, tech and AI stocks experienced a downturn this week. While Huang downplayed “AI bubble” concerns, the initial market boost quickly dissipated. Beyond Nvidia, Alphabet was the only Magnificent 7 stock to gain. Other chip stocks and AI-related companies like AMD, Micron, Oracle, and Palantir also faced significant declines, fueled by bubble concerns and scrutiny over AI investment returns. Investors are demanding demonstrable profitability for AI technologies.

Foxconn is strategically pivoting towards AI, highlighted by new partnerships with OpenAI and Alphabet’s Intrinsic. The company aims to be a key AI hardware provider, expanding beyond iPhone assembly. OpenAI collaboration focuses on informing AI hardware design and U.S.-based manufacturing. Foxconn’s server business is now its top revenue generator, boosted by AI demand. They also showcased integration with Nvidia and plans for “AI factories.” Chairman Young Liu is confident in Foxconn’s role, stating all AI models and GPU players will require hardware support.

Asian chip stocks declined following a drop in Nvidia’s stock, despite strong earnings. SoftBank, having recently sold its Nvidia shares, also saw a significant fall. Companies like SK Hynix, Samsung, and TSMC, key Nvidia suppliers and competitors, experienced declines. Factors contributing to the downturn include Bitcoin’s selloff, speculation regarding Fed interest rates, tightening financial conditions, and AI bubble concerns. The pullback highlights the interconnectedness and sensitivity of the semiconductor supply chain to major players like Nvidia.