NEW YORK, Jan 31, 2026, 17:46 ET — The market has closed.
- Nvidia shares slipped 0.7% Friday, ending at $191.13 ahead of a news-heavy start to next week.
- CEO Jensen Huang said Nvidia plans a “huge” investment in OpenAI, but it won’t be “anything like” $100 billion.
- A Vanguard filing revealed the asset manager owned 9.32% of Nvidia as of Dec. 31.
Nvidia (NVDA.O) shares head into the Feb. 2 session with fresh focus on OpenAI after CEO Jensen Huang said the chipmaker will make a “huge” investment and take part in CEO Sam Altman’s current funding round. “We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we’ve ever made,” Huang told reporters in Taipei, Taiwan. The stock closed down 0.7% at $191.13 on Friday. (Reuters)
Why it matters now: OpenAI’s spending offers a rare glimpse into how quickly top buyers are ramping up data center construction, and Nvidia’s stock usually reacts to those signals. This weekend’s remarks come before Nvidia can update the narrative with its latest figures.
Wall Street closed down Friday, rattled by hotter-than-expected U.S. producer-price numbers and Donald Trump’s nomination of ex-Fed governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair. “Markets are calibrating” to both the choice and the shifting policy outlook, noted Michael Hans, chief investment officer at Citizens Wealth. (Reuters)
Huang spoke after the Wall Street Journal revealed Friday that Nvidia’s $100 billion OpenAI investment plan, announced last September, has hit a snag. The companies are now reconsidering their deal. An Nvidia spokesperson noted the firm has been OpenAI’s “preferred partner for the last 10 years.” The report also highlighted Huang’s worries over competition from Alphabet and Anthropic. OpenAI didn’t immediately reply to Reuters’ request for comment. (Reuters)
The key trading issue now: is this just another quick, single-customer headline? Or does it signal tougher fundraising for OpenAI and potential delays in data-center timelines?
A filing on Friday revealed The Vanguard Group owned 2,266,625,855 Nvidia shares, representing 9.32% of the company as of Dec. 31. The document noted Vanguard underwent an internal realignment and anticipates some subsidiaries or business units will report beneficial ownership separately. (Securities and Exchange Commission)
Wolfe Research lifted its price target to $275 from $250, highlighting strong demand for “rack-scale” systems—complete server racks sold as units—and rising average selling prices. (Investing)
There’s a downside risk as well. If OpenAI’s funding round stalls, shrinks, or pushes stricter budgets, investors could take that as a sign to delay chip orders — and Nvidia has a history of reacting sharply to headlines ahead of earnings.
Nvidia is set to release its quarterly results on Feb. 25, followed by a 5 p.m. ET conference call. Earlier that day, the CFO will share commentary. For investors, this event often reveals whether OpenAI buzz disappears or sneaks into the guidance and order updates. (Nvidia)
