AI hyperscalers just made Nvidia the center of the market universe again
When AI hyperscalers deliver quarterly reports, it’s almost like they’re preannouncing results for Nvidia.
Microsoft said that AI drove nearly half the growth in the better-than-expected revenues for its Azure cloud business, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg quintupled down on his capex spending binge.
That’s led to a reinvigoration of the AI trade, with Nvidia a key beneficiary. This encouraging news from major customers has enabled the chip designer to grab the enthusiasm baton back from Tesla.
As of 10:00 a.m. ET, about 15% more money has changed hands trading Nvidia relative to Tesla, while the number of call options traded are nearly 3x higher for chips versus electric vehicles. Both are stark reversals of the recent trend catalyzed by Tesla’s post-earnings surge.
Nvidia traded more dollar volume (shares traded * price) than Tesla in nearly 80% of sessions in 2024. But that momentum really petered out around the end of the year, with more focus on postelection “Trump trades” in which CEO Elon Musk’s close connection with the president stoked more intense demand for shares of Tesla compared to Nvidia.