During the same period as Nvidia's rally, other chip stocks in Asia experienced mixed performances. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) saw a surge of more than 4% in its share price, while Hong Kong-listed Hua Hong Semiconductor's shares climbed by 0.4%. However, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp's shares dropped by 1%. South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix experienced initial gains of 3% and 7% respectively, but these tapered off, resulting in Samsung being 1.75% up and SK Hynix down by 0.43% by market close.
The development and demand for AI chips have played a significant role in Nvidia's recent market success. Nvidia's AI graphics processing units (GPUs) have become crucial for training and deploying AI models, leading to a tripling of year-over-year sales for the company. Its AI chips are used by major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, and the rise of generative AI has further boosted demand for Nvidia's specialized AI chips. This has resulted in Nvidia becoming the world's most valuable public company, surpassing tech giants Microsoft and Apple.
Nvidia's stock reached an all-time high and the company became the world's most valuable public company due to several factors. The key driver was the boom in generative artificial intelligence, which significantly increased the demand for Nvidia's specialized AI chips. The release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022 played a crucial role in this surge. Additionally, Nvidia's strategic pivot from a gaming chipmaker to an AI giant transformed its fortunes, with its market capitalization growing from around $16 billion in 2016 to over $3 trillion in 2024.