Why Thursday's Nvidia Earnings-Led Stock Market Early Rally Turned Into a Rout

Core Viewpoint - The market reversal on Thursday was primarily driven by concerns over the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy and ongoing fears of an AI bubble, despite Nvidia's strong earnings report [1][10][11]. Company Performance - Nvidia reported an exceptional third-quarter performance, leading to a 5.1% increase in its stock price during after-hours trading on Wednesday [2]. - Nvidia's stock opened 5.1% higher on Thursday, contributing to a positive start for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which rose by 1.4% and 2.2%, respectively [5]. - However, by the end of Thursday's trading session, Nvidia's stock had declined by 3.2% from the previous close and 7.8% from its opening price [8]. Market Impact - Nvidia is recognized as a bellwether for the AI market due to its status as the largest AI company by market capitalization, significantly influencing other AI stocks [3][4]. - The company's market capitalization is reported at $4,532 billion, with a gross margin of 69.85% [9]. Investor Sentiment - Investor concerns were heightened by the release of mixed September jobs reports, leading to speculation that the Federal Reserve may not cut interest rates in December [10]. - Ongoing worries about an AI bubble were exacerbated by hedge fund manager Michael Burry's bearish positions on Nvidia and Palantir, although Nvidia's earnings report helped alleviate some of these concerns [11][12].