Nvidia has reported a significant increase in demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) chips, with the company’s shares rising after it exceeded quarterly earnings expectations. The strong results come despite growing concerns among Wall Street analysts about an AI bubble, with Nvidia being closely watched as a bellwether for the industry.
According to Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, the company is seeing a shift from classical computing to AI-infused systems, which require graphics processing units (GPUs), a specialty of Nvidia. Huang also pointed out that software programs are rapidly adapting to the AI age, and there is a growing trend of AI “agents” that can independently handle computer work.
Nvidia’s quarterly revenue reached a record high of $57 billion, with a profit of $31.9 billion, resulting in a more than 5% increase in shares. The company’s data center GPU segment was the main driver of revenue, with sales of its latest model, the Blackwell, being described as “off the charts.” Nvidia also announced strategic partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic to deploy next-generation AI infrastructure.
However, the company’s sales in China have been affected by geopolitical issues, with sales of its H-20 GPUs, designed for the Chinese market, totaling only $50 million in the quarter. Nvidia’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, attributed this to the increasingly competitive market in China and the lack of sizable purchase orders due to national security concerns.
Nvidia’s strong earnings report has been seen as a positive sign for the tech sector, with Wedbush analyst Dan Ives describing it as a “pop the champagne” moment. The company’s valuation has exceeded $4.5 trillion, and its revenue is expected to reach $65 billion in the current quarter, surpassing Wall Street analysts’ forecasts.
The increase in demand for Nvidia’s AI chips is driven by the growing need for sophisticated computing power to support AI applications, such as recommendation engines and generative AI. As the AI ecosystem continues to scale, Nvidia is well-positioned to benefit from its leadership in GPU technology and its strategic partnerships with key players in the industry.