Intel Joint Venture Possibility...Nvidia Stock Rises 6.6%

# NVIDIA Shares Surge Amid Intel Investment Speculation San Francisco—Shares of NVIDIA Corp. soared significantly on the 12th, bolstered by speculation of a potential joint investment in struggling U.S. semiconductor company Intel (INTC). As of 12:33 PM Eastern Time (9:33 AM Pacific), NVIDIA’s stock was trading at $115.99, up 6.66% from the previous day. Following a 1% climb the day before, NVIDIA’s shares have now recorded gains for two consecutive days, recapturing the $110 mark last breached on the 10th after six months. The stock opened at $114.12, approximately 4% higher, before initially paring some of those gains, only to rally as the day progressed. # Potential Intel Investment Fuels Optimism The surge in NVIDIA's stock is being driven by reports of a possible investment in Intel. Reuters reported that TSMC, the world's leading semiconductor foundry, has approached NVIDIA and other major U.S. firms, including AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm, with a proposal for a joint investment in Intel’s manufacturing facilities. TSMC is rumored to be seeking equity investments from these companies to form a joint venture to operate Intel’s factories. An increase in domestic chip manufacturing capacity could help counterbalance the uncertainty surrounding tariffs and export regulations that have been weighing on stock prices. At the same time, shares of Broadcom and TSMC also saw gains, rising by 3.79% and 3.85%, respectively. # Anticipation Builds for GTC 2025 Investor enthusiasm is also being fueled by anticipation for the upcoming AI conference, GTC 2025, scheduled for March 17-21. NVIDIA is expected to unveil detailed specifications of its upgraded Blackwell Ultra chip and the next-generation Rubin chip at this event. The market is hopeful that this conference will serve as a catalyst to rejuvenate a stock market that has been sluggish this year. # Positive Wall Street Report Adding to the upbeat sentiment, a favorable report emerged from Wall Street. Citi analyst Atif Malik, in a research note released the same day, acknowledged the persistent uncertainty around tariffs and export regulations. However, he maintained an optimistic outlook for NVIDIA’s dominance in the AI chip market, setting a price target of $163 and reaffirming a buy recommendation. This target represents a more than 40% premium over the day’s trading price, even accounting for the recent gains. # Inflation Concerns Ease Further boosting investor confidence, the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) for February came in below market expectations, indicating a slowdown in inflation. This alleviated some of the market’s concerns over rising prices. taejong75@yna.co.kr