Nvidia(US:NVDA) Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-11-01 03:27Core Insights - Nvidia's market capitalization has historically surpassed $5 trillion, making it the first company to achieve this milestone, exceeding the GDP of major economies like Japan and the UK [1][2] - The surge in Nvidia's valuation is driven by increased spending in the AI sector, although the "capital expenditure/operating cash flow" ratio for the "Magnificent Seven" (Mag7) tech giants has significantly increased, indicating a decrease in available cash [1][4] - Harris Kupperman, founder of Praetorian Capital, argues that the financial logic behind AI investments is flawed, as the industry requires $1 trillion in revenue to break even, while current monthly revenues are just over $1 billion, suggesting a payback period of approximately 83 years [1][14] Capital Expenditure Trends - Nvidia's market value rose from $3 trillion to $4 trillion in 410 days and from $4 trillion to $5 trillion in just 113 days, reflecting investor enthusiasm driven by AI [2] - The capital expenditure forecasts for major tech companies for the current fiscal year show significant increases compared to the previous year, with Nvidia projected to spend $34 billion, Apple $144 billion, Microsoft $349 billion, Amazon $1 trillion, Google $910-930 billion, Meta $700-720 billion, and Tesla $90 billion [4][5] - Google has raised its capital expenditure forecast for the second time this year, now expecting between $910 billion and $930 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $750 billion [4] Financial Pressure and Leverage - Despite rising revenues and operating cash flows, the Mag7's capital expenditure relative to operating cash flow has increased to approximately 66.86%, indicating a tightening financial situation [5][9] - The declining proportion of cash in total assets since 2023 has led tech companies to seek external financing options, including equity, bonds, and private credit [9][10] - Meta is reportedly preparing to issue $25 billion in bonds, while also having previously raised $27 billion through private debt for data center construction, indicating a shift from internal funding to external financing [10] Investment Viability Concerns - Kupperman highlights that the market underestimates the revenue needed for AI investments and overestimates asset lifespans, with a projected $400 billion in capital expenditure in 2025 requiring annual revenues of $320 billion to $480 billion to break even [14][16] - The mismatch between monthly expenditures exceeding $30 billion and monthly revenues just over $1 billion raises concerns about the sustainability of current investment levels [14][16] - The financial strain is evident in Microsoft's significant losses related to its investment in OpenAI, which could represent one of the largest quarterly losses in tech history [16]