New York, Feb 10, 2026, 13:41 EST — Regular session
- Cisco has introduced its Silicon One G300 chip, targeting AI data centers with fresh networking hardware and a new router.
- Nvidia, Broadcom, and AMD slipped, with investors digesting new U.S. licensing chatter around China and the weight of robust AI capex outlays.
- Eyes are on U.S. payrolls coming Wednesday, with CPI data set for Friday—key signals for the next rates move.
Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) rolled out a fresh switch chip and a router on Tuesday, both built for keeping massive AI clusters humming — a direct shot at Broadcom (AVGO.O) and Nvidia (NVDA.O). The new Silicon One G300, slated for release in the back half of the year and leveraging Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s 3‑nanometer process, comes loaded with “shock absorber” tech to manage sudden data surges. According to Cisco, it could push certain AI workloads up to 28% faster. “We focus on the total end-to-end efficiency of the network,” said Martin Lund, executive vice president at Cisco, in an interview with Reuters. 1
Focus has shifted toward the networking layer, with AI expansion pushing past the processors themselves. Investors, growing edgy, are eyeing potential choke points—whether it’s chips, power, or the tangles of wiring linking up tens of thousands of components.
JPMorgan strategists think the recent selloff in software names, sparked by concerns that rapid AI gains could threaten the sector, may have gone too far. “The market is pricing in worst-case AI disruption scenarios that are unlikely to materialize over the next three to six months,” wrote Dubravko Lakos-Bujas and his team, who singled out “higher quality and AI-resilient” picks like Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, and ServiceNow. 2
Cisco inched up 0.3%, closing at $87.04. Nvidia gave up 0.3% to land at $189.48, and Broadcom dropped 0.5% to $342.09. Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) slipped 0.4% to $215.15. Microsoft added 0.7%, ending at $416.55. ServiceNow saw a 2.7% bump, but Palo Alto Networks eased back by 0.3%.
Nvidia’s ties to China are under the spotlight again after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers the company “must live with” restrictions on H200 chip sales to China. Those licensing terms clamp down on advanced chip shipments, aiming to keep them out of military hands. Reuters has previously detailed tensions over compliance hurdles, like the “know-your-customer” checks requiring Nvidia to verify the end user of its hardware. 3
Big Tech’s hunger for AI funding is making its mark. Alphabet (GOOGL.O) plans to price a rare 100-year bond as part of a 5.5 billion pounds sterling offering, according to a memo viewed by Reuters. Bankers say this is the first century bond from a tech company since Motorola back in 1997. “That’s representative and indicative of a lot of the capital spending,” BNY chief investment officer Jason Granet said, as investors weigh whether heavy outlays on AI will pay off quickly enough. 4
Apollo Global Management is nearing the finish line on a $3.4 billion loan for an investment entity aiming to purchase Nvidia chips, then lease them out to Elon Musk’s xAI, according to The Information. The funding setup lets startups expand their computing power without locking up capital in physical hardware. Reuters noted Apollo has previously supported a comparable chip-leasing structure for xAI. 5
The AI rally hasn’t been without its bruises. Over the last three months, software and services names have underperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 24 percentage points, Reuters noted on Monday. A wave of selling hit after worries emerged that a new legal tool from Anthropic’s Claude model might disrupt established software models. Options markets reflected that caution, pricing in bigger swings. 6
Focus shifts to Wednesday’s January nonfarm payrolls and Friday’s CPI, with traders eyeing both for any signals on where the Fed heads next on rates — and sizing up if “AI stocks” will move on macro numbers, central bank hints, or maybe just the next splashy spending announcement. 7
