Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Nvidia, Cisco, Virgin Galactic — And Inflation Fears Rattle Investors

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.

U.S. stocks struggled this week as rising inflation fears and surging bond yields challenged the market's AI-driven rally. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite posted weekly losses, while the S&P 500 managed only a slight gain despite briefly reaching fresh record highs earlier in the week. Investors grew increasingly concerned that persistent inflation — fueled in part by elevated oil prices tied to Middle East tensions — could force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer or even consider additional rate hikes in 2026.

Technology and semiconductor stocks continued to anchor the broader market, with enthusiasm around artificial intelligence helping major indexes remain near all-time highs despite deteriorating macro conditions. However, analysts warned that the rally has become increasingly dependent on a narrow group of mega-cap AI stocks, leaving markets vulnerable if earnings or growth expectations weaken.

Meanwhile, bond markets sent a more cautious signal as Treasury yields climbed sharply and traders abandoned expectations for rate cuts later this year. Futures markets increasingly priced in the possibility of at least one Fed hike in 2026, reflecting concern that inflation may remain entrenched amid rising energy prices and resilient demand.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

"Nvidia Stock Erupts To New Highs: Cantor Fitzgerald Sees 49% More Upside," by Piero Cingari, reports that Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares surged to fresh all-time highs after analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a bullish outlook and projected roughly 49% additional upside, citing unrelenting demand for AI accelerators, expanding hyperscaler capital expenditures and Nvidia's dominant position across AI infrastructure, while continued strength in Blackwell chip demand and growing enterprise adoption of generative AI further reinforced investor confidence despite concerns about valuation and intensifying competition in the semiconductor sector.

"Cisco Stock Soars As ‘Very Strong Broad-Based Demand' Drives Q3 Earnings Beat," by Adam Eckert, reports that Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) shares surged after the networking giant posted a strong fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue beat, fueled by what management described as "very strong broad-based demand" across enterprise networking, security and AI infrastructure markets, with total orders rising sharply year over year as customers accelerated spending on data center upgrades and AI-related networking equipment, prompting Cisco to raise its full-year guidance and reinforce investor optimism about sustained AI-driven infrastructure demand.

"Cerebras IPO Frenzy Suggests Wall Street Is Desperate For The Next Nvidia," by Surbhi Jain, reports that investor enthusiasm surrounding Cerebras Systems (NASDAQ:CBRS) reflects Wall Street's intensifying search for the next major AI infrastructure winner beyond Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), as the AI chipmaker's IPO became heavily oversubscribed after it raised its expected pricing range and targeted up to roughly $4.8 billion in proceeds, driven by excitement around its wafer-scale processor architecture and growing demand for inference-focused AI computing systems tied to large-scale deployments from companies like OpenAI and Amazon.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Figma Stock Jumps On Q1 Earnings Beat As Customers Go ‘Bigger And Broader'

NVIDIA-Backed Nebius Stuns Wall Street With Monster AI Growth

QUBT Breaks Above Its 200-Day Moving Average — As CEO Bets On ‘Scalable' Quantum

The Bears

"Virgin Galactic Stock Slides On Q1 Earnings, Company Targets Q4 Spaceflight," by Adam Eckert, reports that Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SPCE) shares fell after the space tourism company posted a wider-than-expected first-quarter loss and continued operating cash burn, even as management reaffirmed plans for its next commercial spaceflight in the fourth quarter of 2026 and highlighted progress on its Delta-class spacecraft program, with investors remaining cautious about the company's long timeline to scaled commercial operations and ongoing funding needs despite improving development milestones.

"Nu Holdings Stock Slammed After Q1 Results: Here's Why," by Adam Eckert, reports that Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) shares dropped sharply after the Latin American digital banking company posted first-quarter results that, while showing continued customer growth and rising revenue, fell short of elevated Wall Street expectations as slowing net interest margins, higher credit loss provisions and softer profitability metrics raised concerns about intensifying competition and macroeconomic pressures across key markets including Brazil and Mexico, overshadowing the company's expanding user base and long-term fintech growth story.

"Microvast Stock Crashes After Q1 Earnings: What You Need To Know," by Adam Eckert, reports that Microvast Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MVST) shares plunged after the battery technology company posted first-quarter results that missed Wall Street expectations and issued disappointing guidance, as revenue growth slowed sharply due to weaker commercial vehicle demand and delays in customer orders, while ongoing margin pressure, elevated operating expenses and concerns about liquidity and future financing needs further weighed on investor sentiment despite management highlighting continued progress in energy storage and EV battery deployments.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

Doximity Stock Dives On Q4 Earnings, Weak Outlook

Enovix Stock Drops Despite Beating Q1 Estimates: Details

SanDisk, Micron Stocks Plummet As Korea Shockwave Batters The Great Memory Boom

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