Nvidia (NVDA), a leading chipmaker, commenced its annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) on Monday, with artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing dominating the agenda. The five-day conference is expected to feature significant product announcements, culminating in CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote address on Tuesday.
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Nvidia’s stock (NVDA) experienced a surge on Friday, closing over 5% higher, providing a positive end to a volatile week for US equities. Market fluctuations were driven by economic anxieties and uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. However, year-to-date, the stock remains down 9.4% following DeepSeek’s January release of a more affordable AI model. This sparked investor concerns regarding spending levels in the AI sector by major tech companies, a sentiment that continues to impact the industry.
Anticipation Builds for Nvidia’s GTC Announcements
Despite recent market volatility, Nvidia’s shares saw a 1% pre-market increase on Monday morning leading up to the conference. This positive momentum extended to quantum computing stocks as well. Rigetti Computing (RGTI) experienced a 2.5% pre-market gain, building on Friday’s impressive 28% surge. Similarly, Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT), after a 29% jump on Friday, saw a nearly 12% rise in pre-market trading on Monday. The market appears to be anticipating significant developments in both AI and quantum computing from Nvidia and related companies.
Berkshire Hathaway Increases Investment in Japanese Trading Houses
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) has reportedly augmented its stakes in Japan’s leading trading companies. Filings with Japan’s finance ministry, as reported by Bloomberg, reveal increased holdings in Mitsubishi Corp. (8058.T), Marubeni Corp. (8002.T), Mitsui & Co. (8031.T), Itochu Corp. (8001.T), and Sumitomo Corp. (8053.T). Berkshire Hathaway’s average position across these five companies has risen to approximately 9.3%.
Buffett’s Move Boosts Confidence in Japanese Stocks
Jumpei Tanaka, head of investment strategy at Pictet Asset Management Japan, suggested that Berkshire’s increased investment could instill confidence in the Japanese stock market, particularly as the Nikkei index experiences weakness. This move comes as the Nikkei 225 (^N225) index has declined over 6% year-to-date, while the broader Topix index has seen a more modest 0.3% dip.
Baidu Unveils New AI Models Amidst Intensifying Competition
Chinese tech giant Baidu (9888.HK) has launched two new AI models, further escalating the competition in the AI arena. Reuters reports that Baidu claims its ERNIE X1 model matches the performance of DeepSeek R1 at half the cost.
Furthermore, Baidu asserts that its ERNIE 4.5 model boasts superior multimodal understanding capabilities, with significant improvements in language processing, generation, logic, and memory functions. This announcement underscores the rapid pace of innovation and the intensifying competition within the AI industry.
