NEW YORK, Jan 11, 2026, 09:44 EST — Market closed.
- NVDA closed Friday at $184.86, holding steady as markets reopened Monday.
- Nvidia has named Alison Wagonfeld, a marketing veteran from Google, as its first-ever chief marketing officer, according to the WSJ.
- Tuesday’s U.S. CPI report and Thursday’s TSMC earnings are in traders’ sights for clues on AI demand and interest rate expectations.
Nvidia has brought on Alison Wagonfeld, a marketing veteran from Google, as its first chief marketing officer, according to the Wall Street Journal. She’s expected to join in February and will report directly to CEO Jensen Huang, the paper added.
U.S. markets are shut on Sunday, yet the appointment lands amid a week when investors are re-evaluating the factors set to steer Nvidia’s next move. As a key player in the AI hardware surge, the chipmaker’s shares have reacted sharply to changes in demand and capital expenditure outlooks.
Nvidia shares closed Friday at $184.86, slipping 0.08% on over 131 million shares traded, according to market data. The latest figure emerged in after-hours trading late Friday.
Wagonfeld announced on LinkedIn that she plans to leave Google at the end of January to become Nvidia’s chief marketing officer, overseeing marketing and communications. “I’m excited to be joining Jensen’s leadership team,” she said.
Nvidia’s latest executive hire comes on the heels of its CES buzz in Las Vegas, where the company spotlighted efforts in autonomous driving and new partnerships. Lucid Group, Nuro, and Uber revealed a robotaxi alliance set to leverage Nvidia’s upcoming platform. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to roll out an advanced driver-assistance system in the U.S. later this year, powered by Nvidia chips. “AI and generative AI are acting as a ‘big accelerant,’” said Ozgur Tohumcu, general manager for automotive and manufacturing at Amazon Web Services. (Reuters)
Yet the self-driving sector remains weighed down by challenges. Costly delays, intense safety oversight, and patchy consumer interest have led many automakers to prioritize driver-assistance tech that relies on human control instead of going fully autonomous.
A late-week filing highlighted just how much traders focus on moves by Nvidia’s top execs. Ajay K. Puri, executive vice president, offloaded 200,000 shares on Jan. 7, selling at weighted-average prices between $187 and $189 under a 10b5-1 plan — a pre-set trading program, the Form 4 revealed. The filing also showed he retains more Nvidia shares via trusts even after the sale.
Macro data is weighing on high-growth stocks. U.S. job growth took a sharp hit in December, yet the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, and wages remained steady. This keeps bets alive that the Federal Reserve will keep rates unchanged at its Jan. 27-28 meeting, Reuters reported. “All roads lead to the unemployment rate,” said Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings. (Reuters)
The backdrop helped keep the broader risk appetite steady heading into the weekend. On Friday, the S&P 500 notched a record close, while the PHLX semiconductor index — a key gauge for chip stocks — surged 2.7% to a new high. Gains were driven by names like Broadcom and Lam Research, Reuters reported. “Investors are getting granular and picking the winners and losers,” said Zachary Hill, head of portfolio management at Horizon Investments. (Reuters)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co posted fourth-quarter revenue that jumped 20.45% year-over-year, surpassing expectations thanks to AI-driven demand boosting orders. TSMC plans to release full quarterly results on Jan. 15, when investors will also seek fresh guidance on capital expenditures and demand outlook. (Reuters)
Nvidia traders face a rapid-fire lineup of key events. The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) for December drops Tuesday, Jan. 13. Then, TSMC’s earnings on Jan. 15 will offer crucial insight into AI chip demand. Alongside that, major U.S. banks kick off their earnings this week. Washington policy moves continue to stir volatility, Reuters noted in its weekly outlook.
