Nvidia’s major announcement at CES 2026 was the early production and upcoming release of its Vera Rubin data center chips, which are expected to significantly accelerate AI development. CEO Jensen Huang revealed that Vera Rubin, featuring 88 CPU cores with advanced spatial multithreading, will be available later in the year, surprising investors and analysts who anticipated the news at Nvidia’s GTC event in March. The chip is designed to handle a trillion parameters and offers five times the performance of its predecessor, Blackwell, with only a modest increase in transistors, making it both powerful and efficient. Nvidia also introduced Alpha Myo, a vehicle platform enabling real-world reasoning for autonomous vehicles, further expanding the company’s reach beyond traditional data centers.
The market responded positively to Nvidia’s announcements, with Asian equities reaching new highs, driven by strong demand for technology and AI-related stocks. China’s CSI 300 Index approached its highest close since January 2022, buoyed by signs of a manufacturing rebound and President Xi Jinping’s optimistic economic outlook. Other tech giants like Samsung and SK Hynix were also in focus, with reports of significant DRAM price hikes. Meanwhile, Hyundai showcased its latest humanoid robot for factory work, highlighting the broader trend of AI and robotics integration across industries.
Expert commentary on the program emphasized that Nvidia’s early Vera Rubin launch is a game changer, positioning the company as a leader not just in chips but across the entire AI ecosystem, including software and devices. The company’s partnerships with automakers like Mercedes and Siemens demonstrate its commitment to embedding AI in real-world applications, from autonomous vehicles to industrial automation. While Nvidia dominates the GPU market, competitors like AMD and Intel are pursuing their own strategies, with AMD preparing new GPU launches and Intel focusing on US-based manufacturing with government support.
The episode also covered broader market and geopolitical developments. Victoria Fernandez of Cross Global Investments discussed the ongoing bull market in tech, the risks of high valuations and concentration, and the need for investors to look beyond hyperscalers to find value. She noted that while AI chip development is rapid, investors should be cautious, especially given global economic uncertainties, central bank policies, and potential complacency in the face of high market valuations. The discussion also touched on the strong performance of Chinese tech firms and the potential for international markets to outperform the US in 2026.
In geopolitics, the capture and US trial of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was analyzed for its impact on Venezuela’s stability and global relations, particularly with China. Experts highlighted the challenges facing Venezuela’s interim leadership, the potential for China to capitalize on shifting alliances, and the broader implications for global power dynamics. The program concluded with a look at Asia’s booming IPO market, especially in India and Hong Kong, and the continued rally in Asian equities, driven by strong tech sector performance and investor optimism about the region’s growth prospects.