Business Day

Nvidia stock dips on launch of new AI chip

- Medha Singh /Reuters

Nvidia shares dipped in premarket trading on Tuesday, having more than tripled in value in the past year, as the dominant artificial intelligen­ce (AI) chip supplier unveiled its latest flagship product that is expected to further cement its lead in the industry.

Shares of Wall Street s third most valuable company were down about 1%, with some analysts saying investors had already factored in the launch and were looking out for more details.

“If the brand-new Blackwell chip didn’t trigger a fresh rally, it’s because the arrival of a new and a more powerful chip was already priced in,” said Ipek Ozkardeska­ya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

Shares of other chipmakers also fell. Super Micro Computer was down 1.5%, while Advanced Micro Devices shed 1.7% and Marvell Technology dropped 2.2%.

With the B200 “Blackwell” chip, the company detailed a new set of software tools at its highly anticipate­d annual developer conference on Monday, to help developers sell AI models easier to firms that use Nvidia’s technology.

The flagship B100 chip, which binds together two squares of silicon the size of the company’s previous offering, is expected to be used by Amazon.com, Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, OpenAI and Tesla.

Nvidia is also shifting from selling single chips to selling total systems.

“It will take time to evaluate the performanc­e claims for Blackwell, but the company’s ability to raise the bar this much leaves them in a very strong position,” analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note.

Many analysts expect Nvidia’s market share to drop several percentage points in 2024, as new products from competitor­s are launched and the company’s largest customers make their own chips.

However, Nvidia’s market dominance is expected to remain unchalleng­ed.

The firm, which has cornered 80% of the AI chip market, was expected to provide more details on pricing as well as the transition from H100 to B100 chips at its presentati­on for financial analysts on Tuesday afternoon.

Nvidia’s forward price-toearnings ratio, a commonly used metric to value stocks, stood at 34.6, below its threeyear average of 42.

THE B100 CHIP IS EXPECTED TO BE USED BY AMAZON, GOOGLE, META AND MICROSOFT

 ?? /Reuters/File ?? No rally: Investors had already factored in the unveiling and are looking for more details, analysts say
/Reuters/File No rally: Investors had already factored in the unveiling and are looking for more details, analysts say

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