Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) just reported earnings, and if you're looking for measured, cautious analyst commentary, you've come to the wrong place. Following the chipmaker's third-quarter blowout on Wednesday, Wall Street's optimism machine went into overdrive.
The AI Boom Is Just Getting Started
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives didn't hold back on X, describing the quarter as a "Massive beat and raise." Nvidia lifted its January revenue outlook by $3 billion, and according to Ives, the company's commentary made crystal clear that the AI boom is still in its "early innings."
He called it a "Major validation moment from the Godfather of AI, Jensen and Nvidia," dubbing it the "Most bullish Nvidia call." The enthusiasm stems from explosive demand for the company's Blackwell chips and the upcoming Rubin architecture.
But here's where it gets really interesting: Ives highlighted Nvidia's swelling "$500 billion backlog (and building quickly) into FY26." As for worries about an AI bubble? Ives isn't buying it, pointing to CEO Jensen Huang's assertions about "trillions of more demand" still on the horizon.
Wall Street Sees Massive Upside Ahead
Ross Gerber of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management ran some interesting numbers. If Nvidia's earnings hit $6.5 per share in fiscal year 2027, that's a 42% jump from the forecasted $4.57 per share this fiscal year. At 45 times earnings, he sees the stock reaching "$292 a share."
That represents a 56% upside from current levels for a company that's already the world's most valuable, trading at a $4.53 trillion valuation. Let that sink in for a moment.
Gene Munster from Deepwater Asset Management is betting on more immediate gains, predicting the stock will climb 5% to 10% over the next week following its after-hours surge. He attributes this optimism to Huang's "over the top near and long term bullish" commentary, the raised guidance for both the January quarter and the following fiscal year (both ahead of Wall Street consensus), and the company's ability to maintain margins while growing volumes and launching new products.
When a Tech Earnings Report Becomes Economic News
Economist Mohamed El-Erian elevated the conversation beyond Nvidia itself. The company's stronger-than-expected performance and outlook "reinforces the AI optimism that extends to the broader promise of productivity and growth," he said.
More significantly, El-Erian observed that Nvidia's quarterly earnings release "has arguably evolved from a corporate update to a full-blown 'macro event.'" This transformation, he noted, illustrates the rapid growth of AI's systematic importance for markets, companies, and the broader economy. When one company's earnings call becomes essential viewing for understanding economic trends, something fundamental has shifted.
The Numbers Behind the Hype
So what exactly did Nvidia deliver? The company reported $57.0 billion in revenue for the third quarter, up 62% year-over-year and comfortably ahead of consensus estimates of $54.88 billion. Earnings per share came in at $1.30, beating analyst expectations of $1.25.
That marks Nvidia's 12th consecutive quarter of beating estimates on both the top and bottom lines. At this point, beating expectations has become the expectation, and the company keeps delivering.
The stock momentum reflects this performance, with strong trends across multiple timeframes. For investors wondering whether the AI trade still has legs, the analyst community just delivered a resounding answer: We're not even close to done yet.