Investors who got in on Nvidia (NVDA 1.53%) stock a few years ago have seen their returns multiply. The stock has climbed 700% over the past three years as the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution picked up momentum. Nvidia, as the world's No. 1 AI chip designer, plays a key role in the field, as its chips drive tasks that make AI happen -- such as the training and inference of models.
All of this has helped Nvidia's earnings growth story bloom, with revenue and profit increasing in the double and triple digits in recent quarters. Revenue has reached record levels -- in the latest full year, it surpassed $130 billion.
Meanwhile, Nvidia still has faced its share of headwinds. One is rivals, in the form of other chip designers such as Advanced Micro Devices as well as certain Nvidia customers that also make their own chips. The backdrop for AI stocks also is somewhat more difficult today than it was a couple of years ago, as investors have worried recently whether AI stocks may sustain high valuations and whether spending on AI will continue to soar.
With all of this in mind, is Nvidia stock still a millionaire-maker? Let's find out.
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Nvidia remains a step ahead
To get started, let's consider the recent AI backdrop and what may lie ahead for Nvidia and its peers. As mentioned, Nvidia is the leading AI chip player. The company entered the market first with its graphics processing units (GPUs), and that's allowed it to remain a step ahead in terms of technology and maintain its reputation. As the AI story unfolded, Nvidia didn't stick to chips alone, but instead expanded its offerings to include a range of products and services -- from networking to enterprise software.
All of this has helped Nvidia become the AI expert, ready to serve any customer at every point along that customer's AI path. Investors recognized this -- and appreciated the earnings growth Nvidia delivered quarter after quarter -- and that's why they piled into this AI stock.
NASDAQ: NVDA
Key Data Points
But, in recent months, Nvidia and other AI players have seen their stock performances falter. Year-to-date, Nvidia shares are little changed.
Investors late last year began expressing concern about the valuations of AI stocks -- and they worried that any slowdown or interruption in AI spending could heavily weigh on the sector. As these concerns brewed, valuations actually came down. For example, Nvidia today trades for 23x forward earnings estimates -- that's its lowest in nearly a year.
No signs of a slowdown
At the same time, we haven't seen signs of a slowdown in AI spending. A number of AI players have reported earnings -- from chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing to cloud leader Amazon -- and in each case, they've spoken of high AI demand. Amazon said it would spend about $200 billion this year, and much of this investment would be to support this demand.
Analysts expect the AI market to reach into the trillions in a few years, and so far, nothing has altered these long-term AI growth prospects. Nvidia also has demonstrated that it can stay ahead of rivals -- even as customers order some chips from other designers, they continue to favor Nvidia.
Now, let's consider our question: Is Nvidia still a millionaire-maker? First, it's important to note that it's very rare for one stock alone to make an investor a millionaire unless that investor makes an enormous initial investment in that player. This is a very risky operation, and I wouldn't recommend it. Even if a company is excellent, it still isn't a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket -- any unexpected shift in the economy or corporate environment could weigh on even the best of companies.
A strategy to grow wealth
Instead, it's a better idea to choose a variety of quality companies to minimize your risk and maximize your potential for gains. This means, as you invest, gradually work to include at least 25 stocks across industries in your portfolio. As part of this strategy, Nvidia makes a fantastic buy for a growth-oriented investor, especially at today's valuation.
Whether Nvidia rebounds in the near term or not, the company, thanks to its leadership, focus on innovation, and the general AI market environment, is well positioned to soar over time. And that means, as part of a diversified portfolio, it could offer you a significant push along the path to millions.
