Chipmaker regains title as world’s most valuable company
Nvidia stock rose for the fifth straight day Friday, closing at another all-time high and solidifying its position as the world’s most valuable company. The rally comes as investors shake off concerns about China export restrictions and refocus on artificial intelligence growth.
Shares of the AI chip leader have surged 66% since their 52-week low in early April, lifting Nvidia’s market capitalization to roughly $3.8 trillion—placing it ahead of Microsoft and Apple. The stock gained more than 9% this week alone.
According to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, both Nvidia and Microsoft could reach a $4 trillion market cap this summer, and possibly $5 trillion within 18 months. “AI is rewriting the valuation playbook,” Ives noted in a recent report.
China headwinds fade into the background
Earlier in 2025, Nvidia faced turbulence as the Trump administration imposed export restrictions requiring licenses to sell advanced H20 processors to China. CEO Jensen Huang expressed frustration over the lack of a grace period, noting that the company’s earnings would have been stronger without the trade constraints.
Despite being shut out of China’s $50 billion semiconductor market, Nvidia has continued to post strong growth in AI and data center revenues, the cornerstones of its valuation surge.
Robotics: the next big bet
At Nvidia’s annual shareholder meeting this week, Huang said the company’s next major frontier is robotics. While currently a small portion of revenue—just $567 million last quarter—Nvidia sees massive potential.
“We’re working toward a day where there will be billions of robots, hundreds of millions of autonomous vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of robotic factories that can be powered by Nvidia technology,” Huang said during the meeting.
As Nvidia expands its reach beyond AI chips into robotics and autonomous systems, investors appear increasingly convinced that the company is building a tech empire that could define the next decade of innovation.
