May 21, 2026 | 08:20 am
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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US chipmaker Nvidia reported record quarterly revenue as the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom continued to fuel massive spending on data center infrastructure.According to Anadolu Agency, Nvidia posted revenue of US$81.6 billion for the fiscal first quarter ending April 26, 2026, marking an 85 percent increase compared to the same period last year and a 20 percent rise from the previous quarter.The company’s data center business remained the main growth driver, generating a record US$75.2 billion in revenue, up 92 percent year-on-year. Under Nvidia’s previous reporting structure, data center compute revenue reached US$60.4 billion, while networking revenue rose to US$14.8 billion.Nvidia founder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang described the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure as “the largest infrastructure expansion in human history.”“The buildout of AI factories is accelerating at extraordinary speed,” Huang said in the company’s earnings statement. He added that “agentic AI has arrived,” referring to AI systems capable of performing increasingly autonomous tasks across industries.Nvidia’s financial performance is widely seen by investors as a broader indicator of the global AI boom, particularly the rapid construction of data centers by major technology companies.The report noted that US technology giants are collectively expected to spend around US$750 billion this year on AI infrastructure, with a substantial portion allocated to Nvidia chips and systems powering AI models and cloud computing.Nvidia exceeded Wall Street expectations, which had projected quarterly revenue of US$78.86 billion. The company also reported earnings of US$1.87 per share, surpassing analysts’ estimates of US$1.76.Net income under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) surged 211 percent year-on-year to US$58.3 billion. Meanwhile, non-GAAP net income rose 139 percent to US$45.5 billion.Free cash flow reached US$48.6 billion during the quarter, compared to US$34.9 billion in the previous quarter and US$26.1 billion a year earlier.Nvidia also announced an additional US$80 billion share repurchase authorization and increased its quarterly cash dividend from US$0.01 to US$0.25 per share.For the second fiscal quarter, Nvidia projected revenue of approximately US$91 billion, plus or minus two percent. However, the company stated that the forecast does not include any expected data center compute revenue from China.China remains a sensitive market for Nvidia amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing over advanced semiconductor exports.The Guardian reported that Huang recently joined Donald Trump and Elon Musk aboard Air Force One during a trip to China. Huang reportedly expressed optimism that Nvidia could eventually expand further into the Chinese market despite restrictions on advanced AI chip exports.Nvidia chief financial officer Colette Kress said the company has not yet generated revenue from China under the current export arrangements, adding that the situation remains uncertain.Beyond China, Nvidia is also strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia. Singapore recently announced that Nvidia will establish a new AI research hub in the country focused on improving AI infrastructure efficiency.Earlier this year, Nvidia unveiled its upcoming AI platform called Vera Rubin, which the company expects to launch in the second half of 2026. Huang described the platform as a “generational leap” that could further accelerate global AI infrastructure development.“My sense is we will be supply-constrained throughout the entire life of Vera Rubin,” Huang said.Nvidia has increasingly positioned itself at the center of the global AI race, supplying chips and systems used by major companies including OpenAI and Anthropic to train and operate advanced AI models at scale.Read: AMD Beats Q1 Estimates, Stock Jumps on Strong AI OutlookClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
