Nvidia Earnings: nvidia earnings propel record quarter and fiscal 2026
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) closed its fourth quarter and fiscal 2026 with results that kept markets focused on nvidia earnings and the company’s central role in AI compute. The quarter and full-year numbers include record revenue, large shareholder returns and changes to how the company will present non-GAAP results going into fiscal 2027.
Nvidia Earnings: fourth-quarter revenue, margins and per-share results
The company reported quarterly revenue of $68. 13 billion for the fourth quarter ended January 25, 2026, an increase of 20% from the prior quarter and 73% from a year earlier. For the quarter, GAAP gross margin was 75. 0% and non-GAAP gross margin was 75. 2%. GAAP earnings per diluted share for the quarter were $1. 76, with non-GAAP earnings per diluted share of $1. 62.
Fiscal 2026 totals: revenue, margins and profit for the year
For fiscal 2026, NVIDIA posted revenue of $215. 9 billion, up 65% from a year earlier. Full-year GAAP gross margin was 71. 1% and non-GAAP gross margin was 71. 3%. GAAP earnings per diluted share for fiscal 2026 were $4. 90 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $4. 77. The company also posted an enormous total profit for the fiscal year of $120 billion.
Data center boom and executive commentary on AI demand
NVIDIA’s data center business drove much of the growth: data center revenue rose 75% year over year to $62. 3 billion. the vertical supplies the vast majority of its revenue and credited massive industry investment in AI infrastructure. Founder and CEO Jensen Huang framed the moment as an inflection in AI: “Computing demand is growing exponentially — the agentic AI inflection point has arrived. ” He added that “Grace Blackwell with NVLink is the king of inference today — delivering an order-of-magnitude lower cost per token — and Vera Rubin will extend that leadership even further, ” and said, “Enterprise adoption of agents is skyrocketing. Our customers are racing to invest in AI compute — the factories powering the AI industrial revolution and their future growth. ”
Shareholder returns, dividend and market reaction
During fiscal 2026, NVIDIA returned $41. 1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and cash dividends. At the end of the fourth quarter the company had $58. 5 billion remaining under its share repurchase authorization. NVIDIA will pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0. 01 per share on April 1, 2026, to shareholders of record on March 11, 2026. Shares reacted to the earnings release, rising roughly 3% in after-hours trading immediately after the report before gains fell to less than 1% as the day progressed.
Deals, investor scrutiny and comments on OpenAI
Investors have shown increased scrutiny of NVIDIA’s multibillion-dollar arrangements with AI firms. One marquee deal — a proposed $100 billion investment into OpenAI — fell through earlier this month; instead NVIDIA will reportedly invest $30 billion into OpenAI as the ChatGPT creator seeks to go public later this year at a valuation of around $730 billion. Jensen Huang said on the earnings call, “We continue to work with OpenAI towards a partnership agreement, and believe we are close. ” He also reiterated broader views that AI need not be a net job destroyer, having spoken last month against fears of AI replacing software technologies and, earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, framing AI as a job creator that would unlock productivity gains. On the call he added, “In this new world of AI, compute equals revenues. ”
Accounting changes, tax guidance and the conference call
Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, NVIDIA will include stock-based compensation expense in its non-GAAP financial measures; the company described stock-based compensation as a foundational component of its compensation program to attract and retain world-class talent. For the full year fiscal 2027, GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates are expected to be between 17. 0% and 19. 0%, excluding any discrete items and material changes to NVIDIA’s tax environment. its outlook for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 is provided in its release; the specific line-item figures for that outlook are unclear in the provided context. Colette Kress, NVIDIA’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, offered commentary on the quarter. NVIDIA will conduct a conference call with analysts and investors today at 2 p. m. Pacific time (5 p. m. Eastern time); a live webcast (listen-only) will be available on NVIDIA’s investor relations site and will be recorded and available for replay until the company’s next quarterly call.
The company continues to supplement GAAP statements with non-GAAP measures including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP other income (expense), net, non-GAAP net income or earnings, per diluted share, and free cash flow. The reconciliations for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 adjust the related GAAP financial measures to exclude stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related and other costs, and other gains and losses.
