Observed Signal · May 18, 2026 · Earnings Report · Source: CNBC Investing · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Morgan Stanley Turns More Bullish on Nvidia Ahead of Earnings
Morgan Stanley increased its bullish view on Nvidia ahead of the chipmaker’s fiscal first-quarter earnings due this week, keeping an overweight rating and raising its price target to $285 from $260. The bank lifted its estimates for the quarter ended April 30, expecting $1.72 earnings per share and $79.264 billion in revenue (up from prior estimates of $1.69 and $78.25 billion), citing surging demand for AI hardware and Nvidia’s supply commitments. Analyst Joseph Moore highlighted Nvidia’s advantage from securing supply and noted $95 billion in purchase commitments that cover planned shipments over the next 18 months. Morgan Stanley’s stance aligns with Wall Street consensus, where LSEG data shows 57 of 61 analysts rate the stock a buy or strong buy. The company is scheduled to report results on Wednesday after the market close.
Major tech company earnings and analyst target changes signal demand trends for AI infrastructure and can influence capital allocation, valuations, and supply-chain expectations across technology and advertising industries.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating on Nvidia.
- Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Nvidia to $285 from $260, implying roughly 26% upside from the prior close.
- Morgan Stanley expects Nvidia to report $1.72 EPS and $79.264 billion in revenue for the quarter ended April 30 (up from prior estimates of $1.69 EPS and $78.25 billion revenue).
- Morgan Stanley noted Nvidia has $95 billion in purchase commitments covering much of planned shipments over the next 18 months.
- Per LSEG data, 57 of 61 analysts covering Nvidia have a buy or strong buy rating.
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UBS Raises Nvidia Price Target Ahead of Earnings
UBS raised its price target for Nvidia to $275 from $245 and maintains a buy rating ahead of the chipmaker’s quarterly report due Wednesday after the bell. UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri forecasted Nvidia’s first-quarter 2027 revenue at roughly $81 billion vs. the FactSet consensus near $79 billion, and said the company may guide the top line to $90–$91 billion. UBS expects much of Nvidia’s growth to come from its data center business and highlighted the Vera Rubin Platform, a next‑generation AI supercomputing platform and GPU microarchitecture expected to debut in the second half of the year. The note cites strong AI-driven momentum for Nvidia — including gains tied to Anthropic’s Mythos model — and notes the stock’s large weighting in the S&P 500 and broad analyst buy consensus.
HSBC Expects Nvidia to Beat Earnings and Raise Guidance
HSBC raised its price target for Nvidia to $325 from $295 and maintains a buy rating, arguing the AI chipmaker should not only beat fiscal first-quarter expectations but also provide stronger guidance for the second quarter. HSBC’s commentary, attributed to Frank Lee, cites momentum from Nvidia’s Blackwell products and the Rubin ramp and expects potential total-addressable-market expansion beyond traditional hyperscalers as the company pursues deals outside that customer set. Analysts polled by LSEG anticipate year-over-year earnings more than doubled and revenue up nearly 80%. The article notes Nvidia is the largest S&P 500 stock with a market cap above $5 trillion and shares up over 19% year-to-date.
Wells Fargo Sees Nvidia Up 44%
Wells Fargo raised its price target on Nvidia to $315 from $265, calling for roughly 44% upside from the prior close. Analyst Aaron Rakers said strong AI compute demand relative to supply and Nvidia’s ability to scale AI infrastructure will drive data-center revenue, highlighting the company’s Blackwell platform. Wells Fargo projects the broader AI infrastructure pipeline could exceed $1 trillion by 2027 and also cited potential upside from offerings like Groq 3 LPX for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin architecture. The note keeps an overweight rating on Nvidia and says the stock remains attractively valued despite being up 18% year-to-date; LSEG data shows 57 of 61 analysts covering Nvidia rate it a buy or strong buy.
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