Nvidia Stock Surges as Regulatory Approval Clears Path for Major Intel Partnership

Nvidia shareholders received a significant boost on Friday as regulatory authorities granted unconditional approval for the chipmaker's strategic $5 billion investment in Intel. This final clearance removes the last obstacle for an alliance with the potential to reshape competitive dynamics across the semiconductor industry. The news, coupled with positive analyst commentary, fueled a notable rally in the company's share price.

Trading activity on Friday was decidedly positive, with Nvidia's stock closing the session at €154.40, marking a solid 4.00% gain. This upward move was driven by two concurrent developments.

The primary catalyst was the midday confirmation from competition watchdogs, giving the green light to a deal first announced in September 2025. Market experts view this partnership as a strategic defensive play designed to cement Nvidia's market leadership. The core of the agreement involves integrating Nvidia's RTX graphics architectures into future Intel processors. This move is widely interpreted as an effort to embed the Nvidia ecosystem more deeply within the x86 computing landscape and among U.S. manufacturing partners, thereby mitigating geopolitical supply chain risks and expanding the company's influence beyond pure data center applications.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Nvidia?

Adding further momentum was a fresh assessment from Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon. He highlighted that despite recent share price appreciation, Nvidia's valuation remains "unusually attractive" from a historical perspective. Rasgon pointed out that the equity is currently trading at just 25 times expected earnings, suggesting that Wall Street's profit estimates may still be too conservative given the ongoing investment commitment from hyperscale cloud providers. The analyst currently views concerns about potential "AI spending fatigue" as unfounded.

Operational Momentum and Future Catalysts

On the operational front, Nvidia continues to maintain a rapid pace. The company is targeting complex enterprise AI workflows with the release of its RTX PRO 5000 series, which leverages the powerful Blackwell architecture. Concurrently, Nvidia is bolstering its research capabilities through a new facility in Kiryat Tivon, Israel, a step expected to accelerate the integration of Run:ai, a company acquired in 2024.

Investor attention is now firmly set on January 2026. At the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), expectations are high that CEO Jensen Huang will unveil the consumer variants of the Blackwell series, likely branded as the RTX 50-series. The presentation may also offer initial insights into the roadmap for the subsequent "Rubin" architecture, slated for 2027.