Tech titan Nvidia (NVDA) put up a stellar Q2 2026 fiscal year (FY) performance, generating $46.7 billion in revenue to mark the highest quarterly revenue in its history.
In its latest earnings report, Nvidia says its revenue soared 56% year-over-year and 6% quarter-over-quarter as data center sales shattered $41.1 billion.
Additionally, the firm announced a fresh $60 billion stock buyback as gross margins pushed above 72% and earnings per share hit $1.05 on a non-GAAP basis, handily outpacing the prior year.
But despite the record-breaking performance for the quarter that ended July 27th, 2025, shares closed flat on the day. Investors had braced for fireworks, but the market’s reaction underscored how much future growth has been baked in.
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee tells CNBC that Nvidia may be a victim of the artificial intelligence hype, as it is one of the few public companies offering a direct AI play.
He warns that massive inflows chasing a handful of AI giants create impossible expectations.
“When your pool of investable opportunities remains so small all of this money rushes to a select few. And then they have to live up to all of that hype and give a great return on these hundreds of billions of dollars that are being invested.”
Nvidia’s latest quarter highlights the paradox: breathtaking financials coupled with investor caution. Lee also notes,
“A lot of people want to ring the bell at the top.”
While Lee says that investors are feeling jittery about AI plays, he believes that the trade has more room to run to the upside.
“To me, it still feels really early because there’s such a limited number of stocks that public investors can buy that represent a direct play on AI…
I guess that’s really the next stage of what we have to see is how does the market accept now adding to the roster of direct AI plays… And I think, you know, if we look at the next 12 months, there’ll be a bevy of IPOs, some really big companies that are later stage. But if they’re bought and they produce good growth and their stocks perform well, I would still say that still means we’re early innings…
I think it’s the most important trade.”