Shares in Nvidia has fallen despite the artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant comfortably surpassing expectations by more than doubling its sales. The company reported record revenues of $30 billion (£24.7 billion) over a three-month period.
Nvidia has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom, with its stock market value soaring to over $3 trillion. However, despite the strong performance, the company’s share price declined by 6% in after-hours trading in New York.
Analysts had predicted sales growth of $28.7 billion for the three months leading up to 28 July. Nvidia exceeded this forecast, with revenues increasing by 122% compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, the market reacted negatively, with some analysts suggesting that the pace of growth might be starting to slow.
Simon French, head of research at Panmure Liberum, commented, “While analysts have grown accustomed to Nvidia delivering ‘spectacular’ sales growth, the latest results indicate that rate of growth was beginning to decelerate.”
Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, added, “It’s no longer just about beating estimates. Markets expect them to be shattered, and the scale of the beat today seems to have disappointed slightly.”
Announcing the results, Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, stated, “Generative AI will revolutionise every industry.” However, Mr French told the BBC, “If you’re going to raise expectations that high, then you’ve got to keep growing at spectacular rates.” He noted that while Nvidia’s current AI chip, known as Hopper, is performing well, the next-generation Blackwell chip has encountered production delays, which may have contributed to the after-hours sell-off on Wall Street.
Nvidia’s quarterly earnings reports have become a highly anticipated event on Wall Street, often leading to frenzied trading activity. The Wall Street Journal even reported plans for a “watch party” in Manhattan to follow the announcement. Mr Huang, known for his signature leather jacket, has been nicknamed the “Taylor Swift of tech” due to his growing prominence in the industry.
Alvin Nguyen, senior analyst at Forrester, told the BBC that both Nvidia and Mr Huang have become the “face of AI.” While this has been beneficial for the company, Mr Nguyen warned that it could also negatively impact its valuation if AI technology fails to deliver on its promises after firms have invested billions of dollars.
“A thousand use cases for AI is not enough. You need a million,” Nguyen said. He also noted that Nvidia’s first-mover advantage has given it market-leading products, which its customers have relied on for decades. However, he cautioned that competitors, such as Intel, could potentially “chip away” at Nvidia’s market share if they develop superior products, although this would take time.
Source ~ BBC
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