Stifel maintains NVIDIA stock Buy rating, $180 target amid export controls

Published 17/04/2025, 11:24
© Reuters

On Thursday, Stifel analysts upheld their Buy rating and a price target of $180.00 for NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares, aligning with the broader Wall Street consensus that remains strongly bullish on the $2.55 trillion semiconductor giant. According to InvestingPro data, NVIDIA maintains a perfect Piotroski Score of 9, indicating exceptional financial strength. The affirmation came after NVIDIA announced that the U.S. government has imposed new export controls that require an indefinite license for exporting H20 processors to China, which includes Hong Kong, Macau, and D:5 countries, as well as to companies with headquarters or parent companies in those regions. Due to these restrictions, NVIDIA expects to face a substantial $5.5 billion charge to its inventory.

The analysts noted that NVIDIA’s decision to take such a significant charge indicates a possible lack of confidence that the necessary licenses for export will be granted or that no further regulations will be imposed. In a related move, AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) also reported an $800 million inventory charge for its MI308 products following the government’s announcement. These charges are expected to affect the full-year revenue estimates for both companies by a single-digit percentage.

Stifel’s analysts believe that while the recent developments introduce greater uncertainty and could lead to increased near-term pressure and volatility in the market, the long-term outlook for NVIDIA remains positive. They suggest that despite the challenges posed by the new export controls, the company’s growth narrative is still credible and strong.

The implementation of these export controls and the subsequent financial impacts highlight the evolving nature of international trade regulations and their immediate effects on technology firms like NVIDIA and AMD. Investors are watching closely as the situation develops, with particular attention to how these companies adapt to the changing regulatory landscape.

In other recent news, Nvidia has announced a significant $5.5 billion charge to its inventory due to new U.S. export controls impacting the shipment of H20 datacenter GPUs to China. This development follows the United States’ decision to impose restrictions on these AI chips, which are the only ones Nvidia can legally sell to China. The export controls have left Chinese internet companies uncertain about their future AI chip supplies. Meanwhile, analysts from Stifel, TD Cowen, and UBS have maintained their Buy ratings on Nvidia, with price targets set at $180, $140, and $185, respectively. Stifel analysts indicated that the $5.5 billion charge could imply a 4.25-4.5% reduction in Nvidia’s annual revenue for fiscal year 2026. TD Cowen emphasized Nvidia’s leadership in AI and its strong product pipeline, despite the challenges in the Chinese market. UBS noted that the licensing requirement might act as a ban, potentially impacting Nvidia’s financial expectations, but also suggested it could be a strategic move. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s recent visit to Beijing coincides with these developments, though the company has yet to make a public statement regarding the new restrictions.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.