Nvidia Passes Its Latest Test. Here's What It Means for Investors.

Core Viewpoint - Nvidia's stock performance has shifted as investor expectations have aligned with the company's growth trajectory, leading to less room for surprises despite strong earnings results [2][5][6]. Financial Performance - Nvidia reported a 78% increase in revenue year-over-year for the fourth quarter, reaching $39.3 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $38.2 billion [3]. - The data center segment, driven by AI computing, saw a remarkable 93% revenue growth, totaling $35.6 billion [3]. - Gross margin decreased from 76% to 73% due to increased production costs for the new Blackwell platform, while earnings per share rose 82% to $0.89, exceeding the consensus of $0.85 [4]. Future Outlook - For the first quarter, Nvidia anticipates revenue of approximately $43 billion, indicating a 9% sequential growth and a 65% year-over-year increase [4]. - The company is expected to face challenges in delivering breakout performance as market expectations have adjusted to its current growth rate [6][9]. Competitive Landscape - Nvidia continues to dominate the AI computing infrastructure market, fending off competition from companies like Intel and AMD with advancements in its Blackwell platform [10]. - CEO Jensen Huang addressed concerns regarding competition from DeepSeek's low-cost AI model, emphasizing the growing demand for AI computing [7][8]. Valuation - Nvidia's stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 43, which is considered attractive given the company's 78% revenue growth, although this growth rate is expected to slow [11]. - Long-term prospects remain strong as Nvidia is positioned to lead the AI revolution, but near-term expectations should be tempered as the current growth trajectory is well understood [12].