Nvidia Boosts Stocks Amid Tariff Jitters and Earnings Caution

U.S. stocks ended higher Thursday, lifted by Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) strong quarterly performance, despite investor unease over conflicting court rulings on Trump-era tariffs. The S&P 500 gained 0.40%, the Dow rose 0.28%, and the Nasdaq added 0.39%.

Nvidia shares climbed 3.2% after it reported robust sales fueled by a surge in demand for AI chips ahead of U.S. export restrictions to China. However, the company warned the new curbs could cut $8 billion from next quarter’s sales. Nvidia is now up just 3.6% year-to-date and was the final "Magnificent Seven" tech giant to report this season.

The session was marked by volatility after a late-day appeals court ruling reinstated sweeping tariffs introduced by former President Donald Trump, just a day after a lower court had blocked them. Market watchers, however, appeared less reactive. "These court rulings are just headlines," said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments, noting Trump often rolls back tariffs after making bold announcements—a trend dubbed "TACO" (Trump Always Chickens Out).

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) fell 3.3% despite raising its annual forecasts, while Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) sank 7.3% on weaker sales guidance due to tariff concerns. Boeing (NYSE:BA) rose 3.3% after announcing plans to ramp up 737 MAX production.

Investors are focusing on corporate earnings as a key driver. “It’s about earnings in general,” said Oliver Pursche of Wealthspire Advisors. First-quarter GDP data showed a 0.2% contraction, slightly better than the expected 0.3% decline.

Market breadth was strong, with advancing stocks outnumbering decliners 2.26-to-1 on the NYSE and 1.48-to-1 on the Nasdaq. Trading volume hit 18.65 billion shares, above the 20-day average of 17.7 billion, reflecting heightened investor activity amid mixed economic and policy signals.