Nvidia Shares Rise on News of AI Factory for Elon Musk

A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Nvidia Shares Rise on News of AI Factory for Elon Musk

A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Nvidia shares gained 3% before the bell on Thursday, set to extend the semiconductor bellwether’s lead as the world’s most valuable company, after partners Dell and Super Micro Computer received server orders for Elon Musk’s AI startup.
Nvidia, whose market capitalization surpassed that of Microsoft on Tuesday, was set to add more than $92 billion to its market value of $3.34 trillion at $139.35, compared with Microsoft’s $3.32 trillion, according to Reuters.
Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer gained 3.8% and 4.8%, respectively.
The companies make servers equipped with Nvidia chips, enabling them to capitalize on the surging demand for processors that power virtually all AI applications.
Musk said on his X social media platform on Wednesday that Dell and Super Micro are supplying server racks for xAI’s supercomputer, which will be used to expand the capabilities of its AI tool, Grok.
He said earlier this year that training the Grok 2 model took about 20,000 Nvidia H100 graphic processing units and that the Grok 3 model and beyond would require 100,000 Nvidia H100 chips.
“While Microsoft both spends and makes money in AI, Nvidia only makes money and lots of money and profits in AI. That’s why you cannot spell Nvidia without AI,” said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer, Longbow Asset Management.
Nvidia’s stock price has nearly tripled so far this year, powering the gains in the broader market. Super Micro shares have more than tripled in value during the same period, while Dell’s stock is up nearly 95%.
The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index has risen nearly 34% since the most recent low in April and closed at a lifetime high on Tuesday.



Oil Prices Likely to Fall after Israel Shows Restraint in Strikes on Iran

Oil pump jacks work at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Jessica Lutz/File Photo
Oil pump jacks work at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Jessica Lutz/File Photo
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Oil Prices Likely to Fall after Israel Shows Restraint in Strikes on Iran

Oil pump jacks work at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Jessica Lutz/File Photo
Oil pump jacks work at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Jessica Lutz/File Photo

Oil prices are expected to fall when trading resumes on Monday as Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran over the weekend bypassed Tehran's oil and nuclear infrastructure and did not disrupt energy supplies, analysts said.
Brent and US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 4% last week in volatile trade as markets priced in uncertainty around the extent of Israel's response to the Iranian missile attack on Oct. 1 and the US election next month, said Reuters.
Scores of Israeli jets completed three waves of strikes before dawn on Saturday against missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran, in the latest exchange in the escalating conflict between the Middle East rivals.
"The market can breathe a big sigh of relief; the known unknown that was Israel's eventual response to Iran has been resolved," Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx said on LinkedIn.
"Israel attacked after the departure of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the US administration could not have hoped for a better outcome with US elections less than two weeks away."
Iran on Saturday played down Israel's overnight air attack against Iranian military targets, saying it caused only limited damage.
"Israel's not attacking oil infrastructure, and reports that Iran won't respond to the strike remove an element of uncertainty," Tony Sycamore, IG market analyst in Sydney, said.
"It's very likely we see a 'buy the rumor, sell the fact' type reaction when the crude oil futures markets reopen tomorrow," he said, adding that WTI may return to $70 a barrel level.
Tchilinguirian expects geopolitical risk premium that had been built into oil prices to deflate rapidly with Brent heading back towards $74-$75 a barrel.
UBS commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo also expects oil prices to be depressed on Monday as Israel's response to Iran's attack appeared to have been restrained.
"But I would expect such downside reaction to be only temporary, as I believe the market didn't price a large risk premium," he added.