New York, Jan 9, 2026, 09:45 EST — Regular session
- Nvidia shares edged lower early Friday, with China chip approvals back in focus.
- Reuters reported tougher terms for H200 orders in China and a temporary pause in some orders.
- Investors are also weighing fresh U.S. jobs data and Nvidia’s next earnings date.
Nvidia (NVDA.O) shares slipped 0.3% to $184.54 in early trade on Friday as investors weighed uncertainty around the company’s plan to restart shipments of its H200 artificial-intelligence chip to China.
The China question matters because it is one of the few levers that can change Nvidia’s near-term volume outlook without a new product cycle. Any extra friction — export licenses, import approvals, or local purchasing rules — can show up fast in orders and delivery timing.
U.S. rate expectations were also shifting after a weak jobs report showed payrolls rose 50,000 in December and the unemployment rate eased to 4.4%, data cited by Reuters showed. For big growth stocks like Nvidia, small swings in bond yields can move the math on valuations.
Nvidia is requiring Chinese customers to pay in full upfront for H200 orders, with no cancellations or refunds, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Chinese firms have ordered more than 2 million H200 chips priced at about $27,000 each, Reuters said, and CEO Jensen Huang called demand “quite high” as the company ramps supply. Reuters
Beijing has asked some Chinese technology companies to halt H200 orders temporarily, the Information reported, and China is expected to mandate domestic AI chip purchases, Reuters reported on Wednesday. “China is committed to basing its national development on its own strengths,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, said. Reuters
At the CES show in Las Vegas, Nvidia also rolled out an automotive platform that will be used in a robotaxi alliance announced by Lucid, Nuro and Uber, Reuters reported on Friday; Mercedes-Benz said it will launch a new driver-assistance system in the United States later this year that can drive on city streets under driver supervision. Ozgur Tohumcu, an Amazon Web Services general manager, called AI a “big accelerant,” while Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck warned against “market fantasy” around fully self-driving cars. Reuters
Separately, Nvidia has hired Google Cloud marketing executive Alison Wagonfeld as its first chief marketing officer, according to her LinkedIn post. Wagonfeld wrote she will be “leaving Google in late January to join NVIDIA as its Chief Marketing Officer.” LinkedIn
But the China trade is still a moving target. A stricter domestic-content requirement, slow export licensing, or another policy reversal on either side could push shipments out and leave buyers cautious on big, prepaid orders.
Next up, investors will look for clarity on export license timing and any conditions tied to China approvals. Nvidia is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Feb. 25, according to its investor events page.
