New York, Feb 23, 2026, 06:14 EST — Premarket
Nvidia Corp (NVDA) slipped 0.2% to $189.49 in premarket trading Monday, following its $189.82 close on Friday. Investors took a cautious stance ahead of the chipmaker’s quarterly results, with fresh tariff concerns in the mix.
Nvidia’s first earnings report for 2026 lands Wednesday, putting the “AI trade” in the spotlight after parts of big tech stumbled early this year. Wall Street is zeroing in on clues about AI chip demand, as well as any news on China access. investopedia.com
Risk appetite was already taking a hit. Futures for major U.S. stock indexes edged lower after President Donald Trump rolled out a fresh 15% global tariff, just days after the Supreme Court tossed out most of the duties he put in place last year under emergency powers. “It’s really hard … to know how do you plan,” said Arthur Laffer Jr., president of Laffer Tengler Investments, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty facing suppliers and supply chains. Reuters
Citi’s Atif Malik told investors to pick up more Nvidia, pointing to January-quarter revenue at $67 billion—topping the Street’s $65.6B. April guidance? $73 billion, ahead of the $71.6 billion consensus, per Investing.com. Malik credits the call to momentum in Nvidia’s B300 and Rubin platforms.
Nvidia is scheduling its conference call for Wednesday, Feb. 25, set for 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET), where the focus will be on fourth-quarter and fiscal 2026 results. Written remarks from CFO Colette Kress are expected to appear online soon after the results drop, likely around 1:20 p.m. PT.
When Nvidia reports earnings, the spotlight will land squarely on its outlook: what’s in the guidance, how management frames chip demand, pricing leverage, and the situation in China. The stock’s release is shaping up as a key gauge for the entire AI hardware space.
Nvidia swung between $185.94 and $190.33 in the last regular session, with roughly 178 million shares changing hands, company investor relations data showed. Shares ended up 1.02%. Intel slipped, Broadcom edged a bit lower.
Options markets are flashing signs of nerves ahead of the results. Implied volatility is running hot at 48.7%, according to Barchart data, outpacing the stock’s actual volatility, which sits closer to 36%.
Nvidia’s GTC conference lands in San Jose from March 16 to 19, right after earnings. That’s where the company tends to lay out its product plans—usually through keynotes and sessions.
Still, the risk runs both ways. According to CMC Markets, shares could slide if Nvidia’s results fail to clear the high bar set by heavy bullish options bets, with volatility likely to reset post-earnings unless the company comes through with a decisive beat and upbeat guidance.
Nvidia is set to report earnings and provide guidance after the bell on Feb. 25, according to the company’s investor relations calendar. The event is on for later that day.
