Trending tickers: Nvidia, Boeing, Tesla and Palantir
Shares of US chipmaker Nvidia rose in pre-market trading as the company prepares to unveil its next big growth driver: robotics.
Best known for powering the AI boom through its cutting-edge infrastructure, Nvidia is set to launch its latest generation of compact computers designed for humanoid robots, dubbed Jetson Thor, in the first half of 2025.
“The ChatGPT moment for physical AI and robotics is around the corner,” Deepu Talla, Nvidia’s vice-president of robotics, told the Financial Times, adding that he believed the market had reached a “tipping point”.
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This move is the latest step in Nvidia’s long-term strategy to expand beyond traditional markets. While the company doesn’t plan to directly compete with robotics giants like Tesla, it aims to support the “hundreds of thousands” of robot manufacturers globally by providing the essential hardware that powers their creations.
Shares in Boeing were down by 4.5% in pre-market trading as South Korea announced that it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 planes in the country after a Jeju Air (089590.KS) passenger jet crashed on Sunday, reported Xinhua.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport planned to conduct the special inspection of all B737-800 planes, operated mostly by low-cost domestic airlines. Jeju Air operates the largest fleet, with 39 B737-800 planes in service.
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The Jeju Air B737-800 crashed while landing at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometres southwest of Seoul, on Sunday.
The crash comes amid Boeing’s ongoing challenges, including a 30% stock decline in 2024 and production restrictions imposed by federal regulators following January’s Alaska Airlines door plug incident on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Shares in Tesla dropped 5% on Friday and were around 2% lower in pre-market trading on Monday as the electric car maker’s stock continues to be closely tied to the actions and statements of its billionaire founder Elon Musk.
Musk, who has been embroiled in a series of controversial remarks recently, claimed that he would “go to war” with the MAGA movement over skilled migrant visas. He also vowed to kick out any “hateful, unrepentant racists,” marking the latest in a series of provocative statements.
His most recent outburst was in response to criticism of the H-1B visa programme, which allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers. “Take a big step back,” Musk said, as he launched an attack on critics of the programme.
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The world’s richest man, who himself came to the US from South Africa on an H-1B visa, defended the programme as vital to America’s success. “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H-1B,” Musk wrote on X.
Despite the dip in stock price, Tesla has posted a 74.1% gain so far this year. At $432.41 (£343.47) per share, however, it remains 9.9% below its 52-week high of $479.86, reached in December 2024. For long-term investors, Tesla’s performance has been lucrative: those who invested $1,000 in Tesla shares five years ago would now have an investment worth $15,071.
Palantir Technologies has become the standout performer of 2024, topping the S&P 500 (^GSPC) with a 370% gain year-to-date.
The software firm has harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to transform itself into a leading AI player, particularly within the defence sector, capitalising on the AI wave that swept through global markets this year.
Just weeks ago, the company secured new contracts with the US Army worth up to $619m, further cementing its position as a key player in AI-driven defence solutions.
Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, told Yahoo Finance that Palantir is “transforming the AI revolution.”
He added: “What Palantir has, no one else could compete with.” Ives also compared Palantir to tech giants like Oracle and Salesforce, suggesting the company could be the next big name in the software space.
“When you think about who could be the next Oracle, the next Salesforce, I believe it’s Palantir,” Ives said, advising investors to focus on the stock’s potential over the next three to five years.
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