Nvidia is doing it again. If you're looking at what's the price of nvidia stock today, you’ll see it closed at $187.05 on Thursday, January 15, 2026. That’s a solid 2.13% jump in a single session. Honestly, after the roller coaster we’ve seen over the last few months—remember that 15% dip back in late October?—this move feels like the market finally exhaling.
But the price on the screen is only half the story. The real drama is happening behind the scenes with a weird new "monetized competition" policy and a literal tax on AI chips.
Why the price of Nvidia stock jumped today
The vibe on Wall Street today was mostly about two things: the U.S. government playing ball with China and the massive hype surrounding the new Rubin architecture.
For most of 2025, Nvidia was basically handcuffed. They couldn't sell their best gear to China, which meant they were leaving billions on the table. But as of this week, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) flipped the script. They’re now allowing Nvidia to sell the H200 architecture to Chinese buyers.
The catch? A massive 25% "chip tax" that goes straight to the U.S. Treasury.
Investors aren't mad about the tax, though. They’re just happy the floodgates are open. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, has been vocal about this for a while, arguing that if the world is going to build AI, it might as well be built on American silicon. Today’s price action suggests the market agrees. When you add in the fact that the Vera CPU and Rubin GPU are now in full-blown production, it's easy to see why the bulls are back in charge.
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The numbers you actually care about
If you're tracking the intraday movements, today was pretty steady. We didn't see the wild, stomach-churning volatility that usually follows a major policy shift.
- Opening Price: $186.50
- Intraday High: $189.69
- Intraday Low: $186.35
- Closing Price: $187.05
- Trading Volume: Over 206 million shares
It’s worth noting that even with today’s gain, we’re still a bit off the 52-week high of $212.19. But the market cap is still hovering at a staggering $4.54 trillion. To put that in perspective, that’s bigger than the entire GDP of many developed nations.
The China pivot: A $50 billion gamble?
So, about that China deal. It’s complicated.
The U.S. government is basically saying, "Sure, sell them the H200s, but we want a 25% cut of the revenue." This is a total 180 from the "Cold War" style bans we saw back in 2024 and 2025. It treats high-end AI chips like a regulated national asset rather than just a consumer product.
Analysts like Dan Ives from Wedbush are calling 2026 an "inflection year." There’s a belief that this new trade model could add $50 billion annually to Nvidia's top line. That’s roughly 25% growth on top of what they were already expected to do.
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However, don't think for a second that China is just going to sit back and take it. The Chinese government is already leaning on their local tech firms to use home-grown chips instead. It's a game of chicken. Does China buy the H200s because they're 18 months ahead of local tech, or do they boycott to spite the 25% surcharge? Today's stock price tells us investors think the demand for Nvidia is just too "insatiable" to ignore.
What the "Rubin" era looks like
While the H200 is making headlines for trade reasons, the Rubin platform is the real "next big thing" for 2026. Named after astronomer Vera Rubin, this system isn't just a slight upgrade. Jensen Huang claims it offers a 10x reduction in inference token costs.
Basically, it makes AI much cheaper and faster to run.
Sam Altman over at OpenAI even weighed in this week, saying that intelligence scales with compute. Translation: they need as many Rubin chips as Nvidia can crank out. This creates a massive "moat" for Nvidia. Even if competitors like AMD (which also rose today) or Intel try to catch up, Nvidia’s annual release cadence is making it nearly impossible for anyone to breathe.
What most people get wrong about Nvidia's valuation
You’ll hear people screaming "bubble" every time the price of nvidia stock ticks up. But if you look at the forward PEG ratio, which is sitting around 1.03x, the stock actually looks... dare I say, reasonable?
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A PEG ratio of 1.00 usually means a stock is priced perfectly for its growth. Compared to the rest of the tech sector, Nvidia is growing into its valuation faster than almost anyone else. They aren't just selling "hype"; they’re selling the literal foundation of the modern economy.
Expert takes and price targets
The big banks are scrambled on this one, though the consensus is still a "Strong Buy."
- RBC Capital: Just initiated coverage today with an "Outperform" rating.
- Susquehanna: Recently bumped their price objective to $250.
- Evercore ISI: They’ve got a "Street-high" target of $352.
- The Bear Case: There is one analyst with a "Strong Sell" rating, citing the 25% chip tax as a margin killer if Nvidia can't pass the cost to customers.
Is Nvidia still a buy at $187?
Kinda depends on your timeline. If you’re looking for a quick flip, the RSI (Relative Strength Index) is starting to look a little "frothy," meaning it might be overbought in the short term. We might see a minor pullback to the $180 support level before the next leg up.
But for the long haul? The data center revenue is still the engine. Last quarter, that segment alone pulled in $41.1 billion. With the Blackwell-powered RTX 5060 GPUs flying off shelves and the automotive division finally seeing a 69% year-over-year jump, the company is becoming a diversified beast.
Honestly, the biggest risk right now isn't the technology—it's the politics. If the "monetized competition" model fails or if the U.S. domestic volume caps (the rule that says you have to sell a certain amount in the U.S. for every chip sold abroad) get tighter, things could get messy.
Your next moves
If you're watching what's the price of nvidia stock today and trying to decide what to do, don't just stare at the daily candle. Here’s what actually matters for the rest of January:
- Watch the Earnings Reports: We’re entering the window where Nvidia’s customers (like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta) report their Capex spending. If they say they’re spending more on AI infrastructure, Nvidia usually follows.
- Monitor the "Chip Tax" implementation: Keep an eye on how the 25% surcharge affects the next quarterly margin report. If Nvidia absorbs that cost, their 73% gross margins might take a hit.
- Check the Rubin rollout: Any news about delays in the Vera Rubin line would be a massive "sell" signal. Right now, production seems to be ahead of schedule.
Basically, today’s price reflects a market that is relieved. The trade war has turned into a trade "business," and the AI demand isn't slowing down. Whether you’re a HODLer or just curious, Nvidia remains the most important ticker on the planet right now.