Nvidia’s stock climbed more than 10% in the week ending August 8, 2026, pulling the broader semiconductor sector along with it.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose more than 8% over the same stretch.
What changed
The clearest catalyst came from SpaceX. During an earnings call, the company announced plans to build both terrestrial and orbital data centers running on Nvidia’s Vera Rubin-based NVL72 systems.
On the product side, Nvidia is reportedly testing lower-HBM memory configurations for its upcoming Rubin Ultra chip, specifically variants at 192GB and 256GB. The original specifications called for higher configurations, but global memory shortages have prompted a pragmatic recalibration.
