TRUMP EXTENDS THE CHINA TARIFFS, NVDA AGREES TO PAY 15%, ASTS, BBAI, ARCHER EARNINGS | MARKET CLOSE
TRUMP EXTENDS THE CHINA TARIFFS, NVDA AGREES TO PAY 15%, ASTS, BBAI, ARCHER EARNINGS | MARKET CLOSE
270 days agoAmit Kukreja@amitinvesting
YouTube2 hr 16 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

The new chip deal with China is a significant positive for NVIDIA (NVDA) and AMD (AMD), as the 15% tariff is viewed as a manageable cost to re-enter a major market. Conversely, investors should be cautious with BigBear.ai (BBAI) after its disastrous earnings report, 25% stock drop, and cut to its 2025 revenue guidance. For exposure to the AI infrastructure theme, CoreWeave (CRWV) is a stock to watch after JP Morgan raised its price target to $135. A potential contrarian opportunity exists in Duolingo (DUOL), which has fallen sharply on what may be overblown fears of AI competition. Finally, one analyst predicts a market melt-up until Thanksgiving, followed by a potential 10-20% correction as tariff impacts are felt by consumers.

Detailed Analysis

NVIDIA (NVDA)

  • NVIDIA and AMD have reached an agreement with the Trump administration to pay a 15% tariff/tax on revenue from specific chip sales to China.
  • The deal was negotiated directly between NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Donald Trump. Trump initially asked for 20%, but Jensen negotiated it down to 15%.
  • This deal currently only applies to the H20 chip, which is described as an "obsolete" or older generation chip that China likely already has in some form.
  • Trump indicated a willingness to sell a modified, less powerful version of the new, highly advanced Blackwell chip to China in the future, potentially with a 30% to 50% tariff.
  • The market had a "muted reaction" to the news, which is seen as a positive outcome compared to the previous complete ban on chip sales to China.
  • Prominent tech analyst Dan Ives described the deal as a "massive improvement" and bullish for US tech, as it's better to have access to the Chinese market than no access at all.

Takeaways

  • Bullish Sentiment: The deal is viewed as a net positive for NVIDIA as it re-opens a major revenue stream in China, even with the 15% tax. This removes a significant overhang of uncertainty for the stock.
  • Future Growth Potential: The possibility of selling even a modified version of the next-generation Blackwell chips to China represents a massive future revenue opportunity.
  • Cost of Doing Business: The 15% tariff is seen by analysts as a necessary "cost of doing business" to gain access to the lucrative Chinese market, which is hungry for AI chips.

BigBear.ai (BBAI)

  • The company reported what the host described as "ugly" and "nasty" earnings results after the market close, causing the stock to fall over 25% in after-hours trading.
  • Earnings Miss:
    • EPS (Earnings Per Share): Reported a loss of $0.71 per share, a massive 1,083% miss compared to the expected loss of $0.06.
    • Revenue: Reported $32 million, a 20% miss from the expected $41 million. Revenue was down 18% year-over-year.
  • Guidance Cut: BigBear.ai lowered its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $125 million to $140 million. This is down from a previous guidance of $180 million and implies an 11% year-over-year decline in revenue at the high end.
  • No Q&A: The company did not take any questions from analysts on its earnings call, which the host noted is similar to GameStop and can be viewed negatively by investors.

Takeaways

  • Bearish Sentiment: The earnings report was extremely poor. A double-digit revenue decline in the booming AI sector is a major red flag for investors and explains the stock's sharp drop.
  • High Risk: The combination of a massive earnings miss, a guidance cut to negative growth, and a lack of transparency on the earnings call makes BBAI a very high-risk stock.
  • Thesis Check: For long-term investors, this quarter forces a re-evaluation of the investment thesis. If the poor performance is seen as a temporary setback, it could be a "buy the dip" opportunity. However, if it's viewed as a fundamental breakdown in the business, it could be a "thesis breaker."

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS)

  • The company reported a significant miss on its earnings estimates.
    • EPS: Reported a loss of $0.41 per share, missing the expected loss of $0.22.
    • Revenue: Reported $1 million, missing the expected $6 million.
  • Despite the financial miss, the stock was trading up over 7% in after-hours trading.
  • The market is focused on the company's operational progress and future plans, not its current financials.
  • Key Updates:
    • Confirmed a fully funded plan to deploy 45 to 60 satellites into orbit by 2026.
    • Plans for orbital launches every one to two months on average during 2025 and 2026.
    • The company has approximately $939 million in cash.

Takeaways

  • Speculative Investment: ASTS is a pre-commercialization company, and its stock trades on future potential, not current earnings. The financial misses are largely ignored by the market.
  • Execution is Key: The investment thesis rests entirely on the company's ability to successfully manufacture and launch its satellite constellation. The positive stock reaction indicates that investors were encouraged by the updated launch timeline and deployment goals.
  • Long-Term Horizon: This is an investment for those with a high-risk tolerance and a long-term outlook, betting on the company becoming a major player in the satellite-to-cell phone market.

Archer Aviation (ACHR)

  • Reported an EPS loss of $0.17, which was a "beat" as it was better than the expected loss of $0.25.
  • As a pre-revenue company, the focus was on operational updates:
    • Six "Midnight" aircraft are currently in production.
    • Selected as the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Olympics.
    • Has a strong balance sheet with $1.7 billion in cash.
  • The stock was volatile after the report, initially dropping 7% before recovering.

Takeaways

  • Progress Over Profit: For a developmental company like Archer, progress is more important than profit. The key takeaways are that production is underway and major partnerships (like the Olympics) are being secured.
  • Cash is King: With $1.7 billion in cash, the company has a significant runway to continue development without needing to raise more capital immediately. Investors should monitor the cash burn rate in coming quarters.
  • Speculative Nature: Like ASTS, this is a speculative bet on the future of urban air mobility. The investment relies on the company's ability to navigate regulatory hurdles and scale production.

Other Investment Mentions & Themes

Key Stock & Crypto Mentions

  • AMD (AMD): Included in the 15% China chip tariff deal alongside NVIDIA. This is seen as a positive development that removes uncertainty and re-opens a key market.
  • Tesla (TSLA): The stock was up based on news of a potential entry into the UK energy market and Elon Musk's comments about accelerating the Robotaxi rollout and the upcoming FSD 14 software. This highlights that Tesla's growth story is expanding beyond just auto sales.
  • Bitcoin (BTC) & Ethereum (ETH): Mentioned as taking a "breather" after a strong run. Prices were noted as BTC below $120k and ETH below $4,300. This suggests a period of healthy consolidation.
  • CoreWeave (CRWV): JP Morgan significantly raised its price target from $65 to $135, signaling strong institutional bullishness on the AI data center and compute sector.
  • Duolingo (DUOL): The stock is down heavily despite strong earnings. The market is concerned that advanced AI like GPT-5 could make language-learning apps obsolete. The host sees this as a potential buying opportunity if the AI narrative is overblown.
  • Oklo (OKLO): A pre-revenue nuclear energy company that is up 228% year-to-date. The stock is trading purely on the narrative that the AI boom will create massive demand for new energy sources. This is a very high-risk, narrative-driven stock.

Broader Market Themes

  • Cannabis Sector (ETF: WEED): The sector jumped 30% on news that the Trump administration may ease federal restrictions on marijuana. This highlights the sector's high sensitivity to political news.
  • Gold: Trump stated he will not be putting tariffs on gold, removing a potential risk factor for the precious metal.
  • Market Outlook: Analyst Dan Niles predicts a market "melt-up" between now and Thanksgiving, followed by a 10% to 20% correction as the impact of tariffs begins to affect prices and consumer demand. The host expressed skepticism about this prediction.
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Video Description
https://x.com/amitisinvesting 00:00 - NVDA AMD 15:00 - Market Close & Earnings 54:00 - Dan Niles 1:17:10 - ASTS Call 1:51:59 - Farzad on Robotaxi
About Amit Kukreja
Amit Kukreja

Amit Kukreja

By @amitinvesting

Breaking down stocks, business, tech. Thank you for following along the journey!