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
41 Analyst Rating
39 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 184.970
Low
200.00
Averages
264.97
High
352.00
Current: 184.970
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's Q4 Earnings Forecast Shows Strong Growth Potential
- Optimistic Earnings Forecast: Nvidia anticipates fourth-quarter revenue for fiscal 2026 to reach $65 billion, representing a 65% year-over-year growth, highlighting the company's strong demand in the AI chip market and its leadership position.
- Increased Capital Expenditures: Major tech companies plan to further increase capital expenditures in 2026, primarily for AI infrastructure, which will directly boost Nvidia's GPU sales and solidify its market dominance.
- Surge in Product Demand: CEO Jensen Huang noted that demand for the Blackwell platform data center products is “off the charts,” indicating rapid growth in market demand for Nvidia's AI computing products.
- Record of Exceeding Estimates: Nvidia has surpassed Wall Street's earnings expectations in 20 out of the last 22 quarters, demonstrating strong performance stability and management's clear visibility into future results, with expectations to continue this trend.
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SEC Filing: The dissolution of the stake was formally communicated through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), highlighting regulatory compliance in the process.
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- S&P 500 Resistance: The S&P 500 index encountered technical resistance during the rebound, suggesting potential short-term adjustment pressures, prompting investors to proceed with caution.
- Earnings Expectations: Walmart's upcoming earnings report is highly anticipated, with the market closely watching its performance, which could significantly impact the overall retail sector trends and influence investor sentiment and market direction.
- Tech Stock Performance: The strong performance of ASML, Micron, and Nvidia not only propelled the market rebound but may also attract more capital into tech stocks, intensifying competition and innovation within the industry.
See More
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- Rate Policy Disagreement: The Federal Reserve's meeting minutes reveal divisions among officials, with some prioritizing labor market support over inflation control, indicating potential uncertainty in market expectations regarding future rate movements.
- Positive Market Reaction: Major U.S. indexes rose on Wednesday, driven by tech stocks, with Nvidia shares climbing after Meta announced it would utilize the chipmaker's next-generation systems, highlighting the tech sector's strong performance's positive impact on the overall market.
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- Nvidia's Market Leadership: Nvidia's stock has surged over 700% in the past three years, establishing itself as a key player in the AI market, which has driven double-digit revenue growth and maintained a gross margin exceeding 70%, with expectations for continued strong growth ahead.
- Moderna's Potential Turnaround: Despite facing declining vaccine demand and policy challenges, Moderna's pipeline of investigational cancer vaccines and candidates for rare diseases offers hope for a transformative future, making its current stock price attractive during this recovery phase.
- Amazon's Cloud Business Advantage: Amazon's AWS has emerged as a leader in AI products and services, achieving an annual revenue run rate of $142 billion, and despite concerns over capital investments, strong market demand and profitability make its current stock price appealing at 25x forward earnings estimates.
- Market-wide Pullback Opportunities: Although the S&P 500 has faced challenges from economic factors recently, investors can seize current buying opportunities, particularly in AI-focused companies, which are expected to yield substantial returns for long-term investors.
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- Strong Economic Data: US December capital goods new orders rose 0.6% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.3%, indicating a rebound in capital spending that boosts market confidence and drives stock prices higher.
- Housing Market Recovery: December housing starts increased by 6.2% month-over-month to 1.404 million, significantly surpassing the expected 1.304 million, suggesting a recovery in the housing market that could stimulate investment and consumption in related sectors.
- Manufacturing Production Growth: January manufacturing production rose by 0.6% month-over-month, stronger than the expected 0.4%, marking the largest increase in 11 months, indicating a recovery in manufacturing that supports overall economic growth expectations.
- Optimistic Stock Market Performance: Over 75% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings that beat expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, providing strong support for the stock market despite lingering doubts about future interest rate policies.
See More
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- Optimistic Earnings Forecast: Nvidia anticipates fourth-quarter revenue for fiscal 2026 to reach $65 billion, representing a 65% year-over-year growth, highlighting the company's strong demand in the AI chip market and its leadership position.
- Increased Capital Expenditures: Major tech companies plan to further increase capital expenditures in 2026, primarily for AI infrastructure, which will directly boost Nvidia's GPU sales and solidify its market dominance.
- Surge in Product Demand: CEO Jensen Huang noted that demand for the Blackwell platform data center products is “off the charts,” indicating rapid growth in market demand for Nvidia's AI computing products.
- Record of Exceeding Estimates: Nvidia has surpassed Wall Street's earnings expectations in 20 out of the last 22 quarters, demonstrating strong performance stability and management's clear visibility into future results, with expectations to continue this trend.
See More
SOFTBANK GROUP CORP SELLS OFF ITS SHAREHOLDING IN NVIDIA CORP - SEC FILING
SoftBank Group Corp's Decision: SoftBank Group Corp has decided to dissolve its share stake in Nvidia Corp, indicating a strategic shift in its investment portfolio.
SEC Filing: The dissolution of the stake was formally communicated through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), highlighting regulatory compliance in the process.
See More
US Stocks Bounce Back Led by ASML, Micron, and Nvidia
- Market Bounce: The stock market extended its bounce, led by ASML, Micron, and Nvidia, indicating a gradual recovery in investor confidence towards tech stocks, although the overall market still faces resistance.
- S&P 500 Resistance: The S&P 500 index encountered technical resistance during the rebound, suggesting potential short-term adjustment pressures, prompting investors to proceed with caution.
- Earnings Expectations: Walmart's upcoming earnings report is highly anticipated, with the market closely watching its performance, which could significantly impact the overall retail sector trends and influence investor sentiment and market direction.
- Tech Stock Performance: The strong performance of ASML, Micron, and Nvidia not only propelled the market rebound but may also attract more capital into tech stocks, intensifying competition and innovation within the industry.
See More
Federal Reserve Minutes Reveal Policy Divisions
- Rate Policy Disagreement: The Federal Reserve's meeting minutes reveal divisions among officials, with some prioritizing labor market support over inflation control, indicating potential uncertainty in market expectations regarding future rate movements.
- Positive Market Reaction: Major U.S. indexes rose on Wednesday, driven by tech stocks, with Nvidia shares climbing after Meta announced it would utilize the chipmaker's next-generation systems, highlighting the tech sector's strong performance's positive impact on the overall market.
- Oil Price Surge: Oil prices jumped over 4% after U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that Iran is not yet willing to acknowledge certain
See More
Investment Opportunities Driven by AI Growth
- Nvidia's Market Leadership: Nvidia's stock has surged over 700% in the past three years, establishing itself as a key player in the AI market, which has driven double-digit revenue growth and maintained a gross margin exceeding 70%, with expectations for continued strong growth ahead.
- Moderna's Potential Turnaround: Despite facing declining vaccine demand and policy challenges, Moderna's pipeline of investigational cancer vaccines and candidates for rare diseases offers hope for a transformative future, making its current stock price attractive during this recovery phase.
- Amazon's Cloud Business Advantage: Amazon's AWS has emerged as a leader in AI products and services, achieving an annual revenue run rate of $142 billion, and despite concerns over capital investments, strong market demand and profitability make its current stock price appealing at 25x forward earnings estimates.
- Market-wide Pullback Opportunities: Although the S&P 500 has faced challenges from economic factors recently, investors can seize current buying opportunities, particularly in AI-focused companies, which are expected to yield substantial returns for long-term investors.
See More
US Stocks Close Higher on Strong Economic Data
- Strong Economic Data: US December capital goods new orders rose 0.6% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.3%, indicating a rebound in capital spending that boosts market confidence and drives stock prices higher.
- Housing Market Recovery: December housing starts increased by 6.2% month-over-month to 1.404 million, significantly surpassing the expected 1.304 million, suggesting a recovery in the housing market that could stimulate investment and consumption in related sectors.
- Manufacturing Production Growth: January manufacturing production rose by 0.6% month-over-month, stronger than the expected 0.4%, marking the largest increase in 11 months, indicating a recovery in manufacturing that supports overall economic growth expectations.
- Optimistic Stock Market Performance: Over 75% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings that beat expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, providing strong support for the stock market despite lingering doubts about future interest rate policies.
See More
