Brandy Was a Hit Drink. Now It's a Poster Child for the Trade Wars.
The preferred quaff of aristocrats and rappers is a key export for European luxury-drink makers, which are fighting tariff assaults from its two biggest markets: China and the U.S.
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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Nvidia or AMD: Billionaire Ken Griffin Goes All-In on One Top AI Chip Stock
AI has been Wall Street's obsession for quite some time now, with investors excited about how the game-changing tech is set to transform our world in many ways, from reshaping business models and driving productivity gains to creating entirely new markets and industries. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. The technology is widely seen as one of the most transformative forces of our era – yet, according to investing legend Ken Griffin, the most meaningful chapters are still unwritten. 'Generative AI has just gripped the world both in mind-share impact and to some degree hype… Generative AI is just another step in the journey of the use of machine learning technologies by modern society… I think the really interesting generative AI stories are going to be when people think about how to use these tools in radically different ways than we currently use software, and those will be many of the game-changing businesses of the next 10 to 20 years. So it's going to be incredibly exciting,' Griffin opined. Griffin is backing up his words with action. With a net worth north of $47 billion, the founder and CEO of Citadel – one of the world's most profitable hedge funds, managing $68 billion in capital – has been leaning heavily into the AI opportunity. Citadel's portfolio boasts some of the most prominent AI stocks out there, including Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD). However, during Q2, Griffin loaded up on one of these yet trimmed his holdings of the other. So, we've decided to take a closer look at the pair to see why Griffin has more conviction in one of these names right now, and with a little help from the TipRanks database, we can also find out if the Street's analyst community is thinking along the same lines. Nvidia What better place to start than at the altar of the mightiest AI stock of them all? The current bull market might be an AI-driven one, but you might as well call it the Nvidia bull market. That's because AI's rise has coincided with Nvidia's march to the top of the market cap charts, with the firm transforming from merely a semiconductor giant to becoming the world's most valuable company. That transformation has been powered by one critical fact: Nvidia makes the best AI chips on the market – the ones driving the data centers that fuel this technological revolution. Under Jensen Huang's leadership, the company now commands more than an 80% share of this space, leaving rivals scrambling to keep pace. It's a remarkable shift for a firm that, not long ago, was better known for supplying GPUs to gamers. Wall Street first took notice when its data center segment exploded into Nvidia's primary growth engine, and the company has since built a track record of delivering blockbuster quarterly results. Even trade restrictions and China-related headwinds haven't derailed its momentum, as demonstrated in its last reported fiscal Q1 quarter. (April quarter). Revenue surged to $44.06 billion, up 69.2% year-over-year and ahead of consensus by $810 million. Data Center revenue accounted for $39.1 billion of that total, a 73% annual jump. Earnings strength followed suit, with adjusted EPS of $0.81 beating forecasts by $0.06. With all of that on offer, Ken Griffin has signaled that he wants in. During Q2, he upped his NVDA stake by 414%, purchasing 6,513,348 shares. These are currently worth a whopping ~$1.175 billion. According to Piper Sandler's Harsh Kumar, an analyst ranked in 13th spot amongst the thousands of Wall Street stock experts, that investment is going to pay off nicely. Looking ahead to the upcoming July quarter readout (slated for August 27), Kumar thinks another strong display is coming. 'We are expecting another positive quarter from NVDA and see upside to numbers for both the July and October quarters,' the 5-star analyst said. 'While we are modeling largely in-line for the July quarter and slightly below Street for October, we are calling for upside given the recent positive commentary from U.S. hyperscalers as well as the inclusion of revenues from China. We note that our estimates and Street estimates do not reflect the inclusion of China business as we are anticipating revenues to start coming in towards the end of this month. China demand in our view could amount to ~$6B in sales for the October quarter and further ramp from there at a ~12-15% growth rate moving forward in a normal quarter. Finally, we are encouraged by hyperscaler commentary around capex plans for 2H and 2026 which should continue to pressure NVDA to meet this demand.' Quantifying his bullish stance, Kumar rates NVDA shares as Overweight (i.e., Buy) while his $225 price target factors in a one-year gain of 25%. (To watch Kumar's track record, click here) The majority of Kumar's colleagues support that stance; NVDA claims a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on a mix of 35 Buys, 2 Holds and 1 Sell. (See NVDA stock forecast) AMD There is really no better stock to delve into next than AMD, a statement that is something of both a compliment and a curse. A compliment because AMD is seen as possibly the only other semi name out there that can challenge Nvidia's dominance in the AI chip world. Moreover, AMD has already proven itself adept at eroding another rival's rule over a particular segment. Intel used to be the undisputed leader of the CPU space, but by making the most of Intel's mistakes and offering better products, AMD has been steadily closing the gap on the fallen chip giant's leading position in that sector. But the very fact that AMD is measured against Nvidia is what makes the comparison something of a curse. Despite its achievements, AMD has often been saddled with 'little bro' status. The perception persists that AMD is simply second-best in the AI chip game, lacking the complete ecosystem that Nvidia offers, and forced to play catch-up in a market it entered much later. And unlike struggling Intel, Nvidia isn't a weakened rival – it's still firing on all cylinders, making the bar for AMD that much higher. Even so, it's important not to overlook AMD's own impressive trajectory. While Nvidia may have stolen the spotlight, AMD has continued to deliver solid results and carve out its share of wins. The company's recent Q2 readout underscored that point. Revenue climbed by 31.7% year-over-year, reaching $7.69 billion and outpacing analyst expectations by $260 million. At the bottom line, adjusted EPS of $0.48 landed in line with consensus estimates. Looking ahead, AMD projects Q3 revenue of $8.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, well above the Street's forecast of $8.32 billion. In fact, this outlook didn't even factor in revenue from shipments to China, which had been banned at the time but are now allowed again. The market has taken notice. AMD shares have surged 127% since April's tariff-driven lows, a rally that may explain why Griffin has been trimming his stake. In Q2, the billionaire sold 2,433,332 AMD shares, cutting 67% of his holdings. That kind of caution is mirrored in recent comments made by Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore, who wrote: 'AMD revenue continues to be quite strong, but it's not clear that will be enough to keep the bulls in charge of the narrative. AMD guided well above consensus for Q3, but there are a few factors of note here that make the topline strength less appealing: (1) Console gaming upside drove the beat in Q2, arguably the lowest quality portion of AMD's business, (2) datacenter GPU will be up y/y in Q3, implying 1.6bn+ by our estimates; combined with company commentary for strong server and growth in embedded and client, we don't think it's likely to be more than 100- 200mn more than that…(3) Opex coming in above estimates limits impact on EPS.' To this end, the 5-star analyst rates AMD an Equal-Weight (i.e., Neutral) while his $168 price target implies shares will slide by 5% over the coming months. (To watch Moore's track record, click here) To find good ideas for AI stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Xinhua Silk Road: Waterfalls forge stronger China-Italy bond
BEIJING, Aug. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "The two natural wonders have not only become a symbol of our friendly relations, but also a cultural bridge connecting two places," Walter Semperboni, mayor of Valbondione in the Italian province of Bergamo, highlighted the waterfall-linked friendship between China and Italy in a recent letter. This connection was formalized in December 2020 during the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Italy diplomatic relations, when the Jiulong Waterfalls in Luoping County, Qujing City, southwestern China's Yunnan Province and Italy's Serio Falls near Valbondione were officially twinned. "These waterfalls constitute natural bridges for exchanges and cooperation," said Lorenzo Riccardi, president of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce. On August 7, 2023, Riccardi represented the government of Valbondione to unveil a friendship monument commemorating the pact between the twin waterfalls at the Jiulong Waterfalls scenic area. Thanks to this partnership, the Jiulong Waterfalls scenic area has launched many cultural and tourism cooperation initiatives with Italy over the past five years, noted Hu Yibo, who is in charge of the scenic area. According to Hu, Italian tourist groups make dedicated visits to the Jiulong Waterfalls, where characteristic cultural activities such as ethnic performances and cultural exhibitions offer international visitors immersive experiences. Meanwhile, the Serio Falls, renowned across Europe, provide valuable insights for scenic area management and nature conservation. "The twinning enables the two countries to share tourism development expertise," Hu added. With the 5th anniversary of the friendship pact between the Jiulong Waterfalls and the Serio Falls in 2025, Semperboni envisioned expanded cooperation. "We hope there will be further cooperation through joint planning and promotion of tourism projects, mutual visits and exchanges among the youth, and collaboration in environmental protection and sustainable development." Original link: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prediction: Nvidia's New China Deal Will Be a Game-Changer. Here's Why
Key Points While most of Nvidia's revenue hails from the U.S. and Europe, the Chinese market represents an estimated $50 billion opportunity. Recent changes to tariff policies and export controls have stifled Nvidia's potential in China throughout 2025. Nvidia and the U.S. government have formed a deal structure that helps pave the way for Nvidia to reclaim dominance in the key Asian market. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › Although it's only August, 2025 has already played out like a modern-day Greek tragedy for semiconductor powerhouse Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Its year has been marked by a litany of setbacks, comebacks, and everything in between. Earlier this year, more than $1 trillion of Nvidia's market value was wiped out. Yet today, the company boasts a market cap of $4.4 trillion -- reclaiming the crown as the most valuable company in the world. At the center of Nvidia's headaches in 2025 is China -- and no, not because of DeepSeek. The real culprit has been a wave of sweeping tariff policies and export controls that have curtailed Nvidia's influence in the Chinese AI market. Now, after months of negotiations with regulators in Washington, it appears that the tide may be turning. Nvidia could be on the precipice of reestablishing its presence in one of its most crucial Asian markets. Let's unpack the details of Nvidia's new deal structure in China and examine why it should be celebrated as a massive win for investors. How big an opportunity is China for Nvidia? According to accounting and consulting firm Deloitte, the global total addressable market (TAM) for semiconductors, as measured by sales, reached $627 billion in 2024. Deloitte projects that the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19% over the coming decades -- ultimately reaching $2 trillion by 2040. Outside of the U.S., China remains one of the most important markets fueling demand for high-performance chipsets, particularly graphics processing units (GPUs). Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has estimated that the AI opportunity in China alone could be worth as much as $50 billion. In 2024, Nvidia generated $130 billion in revenue, with China capturing roughly 13% of this sum. During the first quarter of 2025, Nvidia's $5.5 billion of China sales accounted for roughly 12.5% of total revenue. This leveling trend underscores how the current administration's policies toward China have started to constrain Nvidia's growth potential in the region. Why is Nvidia's new China deal so important? According to multiple news outlets, Nvidia has reached an agreement with Washington regarding its operation in China. Under the terms, Nvidia will pay 15% of its China-based sales to the U.S. government. In effect, the arrangement provides Nvidia with a pathway to penetrate this critical market through its tailored H20 chips. While this might initially resemble a tax, investors should avoid viewing it through that lens. First, the agreement applies to sales of Nvidia's AI chips rather than to profits, unlike traditional forms of taxation. Moreover, the 15% rate does not appear to be variable in structure like a royalty, which is typically tied to intellectual property (IP) and subject to fluctuate. While this deal might appear unusual at first glance, these structures are not without precedent in global business practices. For example, energy companies that extract natural resources or commodities in foreign countries often operate under similar revenue-sharing agreements with host nations in exchange for distribution rights. In my view, dedicating a modest share of sales to secure access to China represents a strategic trade-off. In the long run, it allows Nvidia to preserve its dominant position in one of the world's most important AI markets and prevents domestic rivals such as Huawei from eroding its competitive moat. Is Nvidia stock a buy? While Nvidia's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has been expanding recently, levels remain muted compared to peaks reached previously during the AI revolution. In my view, part of this multiple compression reflects concerns surrounding China -- perhaps overly so. Nvidia's new agreement in Washington offers the company renewed momentum, securing revenue in a critical market without forfeiting much in the way of profits -- even with the 15% remittance to the U.S. government. Over the long term, I see this arrangement as a strategic mechanism for Nvidia to strengthen its position overseas and deliver durable growth across the global AI infrastructure market. As these fundamentals take hold, I think the company's valuation multiples could expand further, potentially driving the stock to new highs sooner than many investors may be expecting. For that reason, I see Nvidia stock as a no-brainer opportunity to buy hand over fist right now and hold for years to come. Do the experts think Nvidia is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Nvidia make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,070% vs. just 184% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 885.55%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $668,155!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,106,071!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 13, 2025 Adam Spatacco has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: Nvidia's New China Deal Will Be a Game-Changer. Here's Why was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
