Russell 2000 Hits Record High, Up 8.4% Year-to-Date
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 16 2026
0mins
Should l Buy NVDA?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Strong Small-Cap Performance: The Russell 2000 small-cap index rose 0.5% on Friday, achieving an 8.4% year-to-date gain, indicating a resurgence in small-cap stocks that may attract more investor interest.
- Banking Sector Profit Growth: PNC Financial and regional banks saw stock price increases following strong quarterly results, with PNC reporting earnings per share of $4.88, surpassing analysts' expectations of $4.19, demonstrating a recovery in banking profitability.
- Tech Stocks Continue to Rise: TSMC and Nvidia shares increased due to a US-Taiwan trade deal expected to boost American chip and tech manufacturing by $250 billion, further solidifying the tech sector's market position.
- Market Volatility Intensifies: Despite strong small-cap performance, major indices experienced volatility due to Trump's hesitation over the Fed chair nomination, leaving investors to digest this uncertainty ahead of a long weekend.
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Analyst Views on NVDA
Wall Street analysts forecast NVDA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for NVDA is 264.97 USD with a low forecast of 200.00 USD and a high forecast of 352.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
41 Analyst Rating
39 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 171.880
Low
200.00
Averages
264.97
High
352.00
Current: 171.880
Low
200.00
Averages
264.97
High
352.00
About NVDA
NVIDIA Corporation is a full-stack computing infrastructure company. The Company is engaged in accelerated computing to help solve the challenging computational problems. The Company’s segments include Compute & Networking and Graphics. The Compute & Networking segment includes its Data Center accelerated computing platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and software; networking; automotive platforms and autonomous and electric vehicle solutions; Jetson for robotics and other embedded platforms, and DGX Cloud computing services. The Graphics segment includes GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems, and Omniverse Enterprise software for building and operating industrial AI and digital twin applications.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Nvidia vs. Oracle: Compelling Investment Stories
- Nvidia's Market Performance: Nvidia's stock has surged over 700% in the past three years, pushing its market capitalization beyond $4 trillion, making it the largest company globally, which highlights its dominant position in high-performance AI applications and attracts significant investor interest.
- Oracle's Market Challenges: Oracle, with a market cap of $440 billion, has seen its stock drop over 52% since last September, primarily due to high spending on AI infrastructure and a debt exceeding $100 billion, raising concerns about its financial health among investors.
- Financial Performance Highlights: Oracle's recent Q2 FY2026 earnings report revealed a 14% year-over-year revenue increase to $16.05 billion, with net income soaring 95% to $6.13 billion, including a $2.7 billion pre-tax gain, showcasing its strong growth potential in the cloud computing sector.
- Future Growth Expectations: Despite facing debt pressures, Oracle's forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 19.8, indicating that its stock is at a two-year low, and analysts expect significant revenue growth in the future, potentially providing a good buying opportunity for investors.
See More
Nvidia Stock Valuation Low, Potential for Rebound
- Valuation Drop: Nvidia's stock currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 25, slightly above last spring's lows, yet the market's strong growth expectations could yield substantial returns for investors.
- Market Recovery: Despite a pullback in tech stocks since October, Nvidia's price is poised for significant growth in the coming years, particularly as the AI computing market continues to expand.
- Rising Capital Expenditure: AI hyperscalers have announced record capital expenditure plans for 2026, with global data center spending projected to reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion annually, positioning Nvidia as a key beneficiary.
- Strong Revenue Outlook: Analysts forecast a 52% revenue increase for Nvidia in fiscal 2027, indicating robust performance in the AI sector and sustained market demand, despite a slight slowdown in growth rate.
See More
AI Companies Show Robust Growth Outlook
- Microsoft's Investment Outlook: Microsoft is leveraging $77 billion in free cash flow to invest in data centers, software development, and chips, positioning itself for long-term leadership in AI software despite some analysts' concerns about its capital spending plans, which are expected to drive significant revenue growth in the future.
- Surge in Market Demand: The paid seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot surged 160% year-over-year last quarter, indicating that businesses are willing to pay extra for AI features for their employees, which not only enhances the company's revenue potential but also reflects the widespread adoption of AI in enterprises.
- Nvidia's Market Dominance: Nvidia has led the GPU market for about 20 years, with a remarkable 62% year-over-year revenue growth and $77 billion in free cash flow, and its innovation capabilities position it favorably in the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure landscape, expected to continue delivering high margins for shareholders.
- Future Growth Potential: Nvidia's forward P/E ratio stands at 24, with analysts projecting its earnings to grow at a compound annual rate of 37% over the next several years, making this valuation highly attractive and reflecting market confidence in its ongoing innovation and growth trajectory.
See More
Wall Street Insiders Quietly Buy Aerovironment Stock
- Investor Accumulation: John Overdeck's Two Sigma hedge fund acquired 27,327 shares of Aerovironment for $8.6 million, reflecting confidence in the company's growth potential amidst a competitive landscape.
- Large Transactions: Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates opened a new position by purchasing 11,349 shares for $3.6 million, indicating a rising interest from institutional investors in Aerovironment's stock.
- ARK Fund Involvement: Cathie Wood's ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF and ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF invested $1.6 million and $3.9 million in Aerovironment shares respectively, further validating market recognition of the company's technology.
- Price Correction Opportunity: Following a government contract stop-work order, Aerovironment's stock has dropped over 30%, with some Wall Street insiders viewing this pullback as a buying opportunity, despite Motley Fool analysts not including it in their top investment stocks list.
See More
Google Cloud Revenue Soars 48%, Exceeding Expectations
- Significant Revenue Growth: Google Cloud's revenue surged 48% year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching $17.7 billion and accounting for 15.5% of Alphabet's total sales, demonstrating the segment's robust performance amid the AI boom and solidifying the company's position in the cloud computing market.
- Profitability Improvement: The operating income for Google Cloud skyrocketed by 154% to $5.3 billion, with the operating margin nearly doubling from 17.5% to 29.9%, indicating substantial progress in cost control and efficiency enhancement, which strengthens future profitability potential.
- Market Reaction Volatility: Despite exceeding Wall Street expectations, Alphabet's stock fell 6.5% post-report, resulting in a market cap loss of approximately $250 billion over three days, reflecting investor concerns over the company's massive AI infrastructure spending, which may impact short-term investor confidence.
- Long-Term Growth Potential: Alphabet plans to double its capital expenditure budget in 2026, signaling confidence in Google Cloud's future growth, suggesting that analysts should reassess its growth prospects to reflect the segment's potential and changing market demand.
See More
Nvidia's Five-Year Growth Projections
- Market Leadership: Since 2023, Nvidia's stock has surged over 1,200%, establishing it as the world's largest company, which underscores its significant influence and market dominance in the AI computing sector.
- Capital Expenditure Growth: Global data center capital expenditures are projected to reach $600 billion by 2025, and if Nvidia maintains a 36% market share, it could generate approximately $213 billion in revenue, further solidifying its industry leadership.
- Future Revenue Projections: Should global data center spending hit $3 trillion to $4 trillion by 2030, Nvidia could achieve $1.24 trillion in annual revenue, marking a significant milestone in its business growth and reflecting strong expectations for AI computing demand.
- Competitive Advantage: Despite rising competition from alternative computing suppliers, Nvidia's GPUs remain the industry standard for AI computing, and ongoing technological innovation and market demand are expected to drive its stock price higher over the next five years.
See More
Nvidia vs. Oracle: Compelling Investment Stories
- Nvidia's Market Performance: Nvidia's stock has surged over 700% in the past three years, pushing its market capitalization beyond $4 trillion, making it the largest company globally, which highlights its dominant position in high-performance AI applications and attracts significant investor interest.
- Oracle's Market Challenges: Oracle, with a market cap of $440 billion, has seen its stock drop over 52% since last September, primarily due to high spending on AI infrastructure and a debt exceeding $100 billion, raising concerns about its financial health among investors.
- Financial Performance Highlights: Oracle's recent Q2 FY2026 earnings report revealed a 14% year-over-year revenue increase to $16.05 billion, with net income soaring 95% to $6.13 billion, including a $2.7 billion pre-tax gain, showcasing its strong growth potential in the cloud computing sector.
- Future Growth Expectations: Despite facing debt pressures, Oracle's forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 19.8, indicating that its stock is at a two-year low, and analysts expect significant revenue growth in the future, potentially providing a good buying opportunity for investors.
See More
Nvidia Stock Valuation Low, Potential for Rebound
- Valuation Drop: Nvidia's stock currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 25, slightly above last spring's lows, yet the market's strong growth expectations could yield substantial returns for investors.
- Market Recovery: Despite a pullback in tech stocks since October, Nvidia's price is poised for significant growth in the coming years, particularly as the AI computing market continues to expand.
- Rising Capital Expenditure: AI hyperscalers have announced record capital expenditure plans for 2026, with global data center spending projected to reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion annually, positioning Nvidia as a key beneficiary.
- Strong Revenue Outlook: Analysts forecast a 52% revenue increase for Nvidia in fiscal 2027, indicating robust performance in the AI sector and sustained market demand, despite a slight slowdown in growth rate.
See More
AI Companies Show Robust Growth Outlook
- Microsoft's Investment Outlook: Microsoft is leveraging $77 billion in free cash flow to invest in data centers, software development, and chips, positioning itself for long-term leadership in AI software despite some analysts' concerns about its capital spending plans, which are expected to drive significant revenue growth in the future.
- Surge in Market Demand: The paid seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot surged 160% year-over-year last quarter, indicating that businesses are willing to pay extra for AI features for their employees, which not only enhances the company's revenue potential but also reflects the widespread adoption of AI in enterprises.
- Nvidia's Market Dominance: Nvidia has led the GPU market for about 20 years, with a remarkable 62% year-over-year revenue growth and $77 billion in free cash flow, and its innovation capabilities position it favorably in the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure landscape, expected to continue delivering high margins for shareholders.
- Future Growth Potential: Nvidia's forward P/E ratio stands at 24, with analysts projecting its earnings to grow at a compound annual rate of 37% over the next several years, making this valuation highly attractive and reflecting market confidence in its ongoing innovation and growth trajectory.
See More
Wall Street Insiders Quietly Buy Aerovironment Stock
- Investor Accumulation: John Overdeck's Two Sigma hedge fund acquired 27,327 shares of Aerovironment for $8.6 million, reflecting confidence in the company's growth potential amidst a competitive landscape.
- Large Transactions: Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates opened a new position by purchasing 11,349 shares for $3.6 million, indicating a rising interest from institutional investors in Aerovironment's stock.
- ARK Fund Involvement: Cathie Wood's ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF and ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF invested $1.6 million and $3.9 million in Aerovironment shares respectively, further validating market recognition of the company's technology.
- Price Correction Opportunity: Following a government contract stop-work order, Aerovironment's stock has dropped over 30%, with some Wall Street insiders viewing this pullback as a buying opportunity, despite Motley Fool analysts not including it in their top investment stocks list.
See More
Google Cloud Revenue Soars 48%, Exceeding Expectations
- Significant Revenue Growth: Google Cloud's revenue surged 48% year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching $17.7 billion and accounting for 15.5% of Alphabet's total sales, demonstrating the segment's robust performance amid the AI boom and solidifying the company's position in the cloud computing market.
- Profitability Improvement: The operating income for Google Cloud skyrocketed by 154% to $5.3 billion, with the operating margin nearly doubling from 17.5% to 29.9%, indicating substantial progress in cost control and efficiency enhancement, which strengthens future profitability potential.
- Market Reaction Volatility: Despite exceeding Wall Street expectations, Alphabet's stock fell 6.5% post-report, resulting in a market cap loss of approximately $250 billion over three days, reflecting investor concerns over the company's massive AI infrastructure spending, which may impact short-term investor confidence.
- Long-Term Growth Potential: Alphabet plans to double its capital expenditure budget in 2026, signaling confidence in Google Cloud's future growth, suggesting that analysts should reassess its growth prospects to reflect the segment's potential and changing market demand.
See More
Nvidia's Five-Year Growth Projections
- Market Leadership: Since 2023, Nvidia's stock has surged over 1,200%, establishing it as the world's largest company, which underscores its significant influence and market dominance in the AI computing sector.
- Capital Expenditure Growth: Global data center capital expenditures are projected to reach $600 billion by 2025, and if Nvidia maintains a 36% market share, it could generate approximately $213 billion in revenue, further solidifying its industry leadership.
- Future Revenue Projections: Should global data center spending hit $3 trillion to $4 trillion by 2030, Nvidia could achieve $1.24 trillion in annual revenue, marking a significant milestone in its business growth and reflecting strong expectations for AI computing demand.
- Competitive Advantage: Despite rising competition from alternative computing suppliers, Nvidia's GPUs remain the industry standard for AI computing, and ongoing technological innovation and market demand are expected to drive its stock price higher over the next five years.
See More
