New York, Feb 28, 2026, 10:04 EST — Market closed
- Nvidia dropped 4.16% Friday, finishing the day at $177.19. Shares ticked 0.35% higher following the close.
- Nvidia is gearing up a fresh processor designed to accelerate AI “inference” tasks for OpenAI and similar clients, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- After two days of selling, traders are eyeing Monday’s open for signs of follow-through. Next up on the calendar: Nvidia’s GTC conference, a key event for the market.
Nvidia is gearing up to release a fresh processor aimed at boosting speed and efficiency for OpenAI and similar clients building AI platforms, according to the Wall Street Journal. The stock dropped 4.16% to finish Friday at $177.19, before ticking up 0.35% in after-hours trading. 1
Timing is crucial here. Nvidia’s become the market’s top stand-in for AI investment, with shares moving less on quarterly numbers and more on whether that spending pace can last.
Shares slid 5.46% Thursday, then gave up another 4.16% Friday—marking two days in the red. That puts them roughly 9% below the Feb. 25 close of $195.56. 2
Nvidia’s sales forecast beat what analysts were expecting, yet the market’s response made clear there’s lingering doubt about how long this AI surge can really last—and what comes next as the focus turns from training models to actually deploying them. Hargreaves Lansdown analysts pointed to uncertainty about growth “beyond the next few years.” Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon sounded exasperated: “We aren’t sure what else investors want to hear at this point.” But CEO Jensen Huang wasn’t having it, telling analysts he’s confident customers’ “cash flows are growing.” 3
Inference sits right at the heart of all this. It’s the term for putting a trained model to use—actually generating answers. This is what lands in the operating costs once chatbots and digital agents become routine, and it’s exactly what customers point to when questioning what they’re getting for their money.
That’s part of the reason chatter picks up on any processor story promising quicker inference. Lately, investors aren’t just asking if Nvidia can move all its next-gen chips—they’re looking harder at whether the numbers still add up for buyers.
The market might not shrug off tough questions much longer. Any pullback in data-center outlays, a quicker shift to in-house chips among major customers, or tighter restrictions on shipping high-end processors—each could dent expectations.
U.S. markets open Monday, and traders are eyeing whether the post-earnings slide keeps draining funds from megacap AI names, or if bargain-hunters decide the quick drop is worth a shot.
Eyes now turn to Nvidia’s GTC event in San Jose, running March 16–19, with Huang slated for the March 16 keynote. Specifics on inference hardware or new customer deals would likely steer NVDA shares through the remainder of March. 4
