NVIDIA’s latest AI chip, Blackwell, is drawing significant attention, especially concerning its timely supply. NVIDIA is scheduled to announce its fiscal second-quarter performance today, covering May to July. Analysts are particularly keen to hear NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s insights into potential production delays during the subsequent conference call.
Reports from CNBC and other sources indicate that NVIDIA is expected to report an impressive revenue of $28.7 billion for the second quarter, more than double last year’s figure. Market research firm LSEG forecasts the company’s revenue at $28.7 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) projected at $0.64. Wall Street anticipates NVIDIA’s second-quarter results aligning with these expectations, barring any unforeseen developments.
With NVIDIA’s second-quarter performance likely to meet these estimates, the market is already shifting its focus to the company’s third-quarter results, covering August to November.
According to analysts surveyed by LSEG, NVIDIA’s third-quarter revenue is projected to reach $31.7 billion, reflecting a 75% year-over-year increase. This growth rate is slower than the projected 112.5% increase for the second quarter.
The timely supply of Blackwell will be crucial for NVIDIA’s performance in the third and fourth quarters. Unveiled at NVIDIA’s annual GTC 2024 conference in March, Blackwell, also known as B200, significantly outperforms the company’s top-performing AI chip, the H100 Hopper chip.
However, due to design errors, Blackwell’s delivery to customers will reportedly be delayed by about three months. Ray Wang, the founder of Constellation Research, mentioned that there is keen interest to see if Blackwell will be delivered on time.
This is why the market is intensely focused on NVIDIA’s third-quarter guidance.
Experts suggest that even if there are delays in the supply of Blackwell, NVIDIA’s existing Hopper AI chips could temporarily mitigate the impact. Ananda Baruah, an analyst at Loop Capital, pointed out that increasing Hopper production could help ensure that NVIDIA’s third-quarter performance remains robust despite any supply delays with Blackwell. Meanwhile, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, Joseph Moore, forecasted that Blackwell’s sales would start gradually in October, with larger volumes anticipated by January of the following year.
