Should You Buy Nvidia Stock Before Earnings?
Should you buy Nvidia stock before its Nov. 17 earnings? Its Maz Vantage Quant score is 4.84 (Strong Buy). Our verdict: buy in stages for the long term.
Maz Vantage Research ·
Key points
- Nvidia fell 4.27% on Nov. 9 and 5.47% on Nov. 10, 2026, after its board opened an independent investigation tied to CEO Jensen Huang.
- The business has not slowed: revenue for the quarter ended July 26, 2026, rose 106% to $96.2 billion.
- Nvidia's Maz Vantage Quant score is 4.84 out of 5, a Strong Buy, held back only by valuation.
Short answer: Yes, long-term investors can buy Nvidia stock, in stages. At $168.89 on Nov. 10, 2026, Nvidia trades at about 21 times trailing earnings while it guides to $108 billion of quarterly revenue. The drop reflects leadership risk, not weaker demand, and the board review could take weeks.
Nvidia closed at $168.89 on Nov. 10, 2026, down about 9.5% in two sessions and 30.6% below its 52-week high of $243.37. With Nvidia earnings due on Nov. 17, the question is whether the drop is a chance or a warning.
Why is Nvidia stock down this week?
On Sunday, Nov. 8, Nvidia's board launched an "independent investigation" after reports that Jensen Huang was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort," CNBC reported. In an email to staff, Huang admitted an affair and said he had "fallen short" of his responsibilities as CEO. The woman involved, an executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed, was reportedly passing information to Beijing, according to a New York Times report cited by CNBC. China's foreign ministry called the spy story unsubstantiated.
NVDA stock closed down 4.27% on Nov. 9 and 5.47% on Nov. 10, to $168.89, on volume more than three times its three-month average, The Motley Fool reported. A proposed shareholder class action has been filed in San Jose. Bank of America removed Nvidia from its "US 1 List," and Wells Fargo cut its target to $300 from $315 while keeping an Overweight rating.
What does Nvidia's Maz Vantage Quant score say?
Nvidia's quant grades as of Nov. 1, 2026. See the full breakdown in Nvidia's Maz Vantage ratings.
Nvidia scores 4.84 out of 5, a Strong Buy, which puts it in the top 4% of 821 US technology stocks. Profitability (4.79) and Growth (4.66) are the strongest factors. Both rank above the 91st percentile of the sector. Financial Health scores 4.41.
Valuation is the weak spot at 2.39, in the 35th percentile of the sector. Momentum scores 3.58. Both predate this week's drop. The business grades near the top of its sector; the price is the debate. You can compare Nvidia with other names in the Maz Vantage quant rankings.
How fast is Nvidia growing?
Very fast. Nvidia's fiscal year ends in late January, so fiscal 2027 runs to January 2027.
| Quarter (fiscal) | Revenue | Q/Q growth | GAAP gross margin | Adjusted EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 FY2026 (July 2025) | $46.7B | n/a | 72.4% | $1.01 |
| Q4 FY2026 (Jan. 2026) | $68.1B | 19.5% | 75.0% | $1.59 |
| Q1 FY2027 (April 2026) | $81.6B | 19.8% | 74.9% | $1.87 |
| Q2 FY2027 (July 2026) | $96.2B | 17.9% | 75.0% | $2.22 |
| Q3 FY2027 outlook | $108.0B ±2% | 12.2% | 74.0% ±0.5 pt | $2.47 (consensus) |
Nvidia quarterly revenueThis content is hosted by datawrapper.dwcdn.net, which may set its own cookies. It is not loaded until you allow it.
Nvidia's quarterly revenue rose from $44.1 billion in Q1 fiscal 2026 to $96.2 billion in Q2 fiscal 2027.
Data Center revenue was $89.0 billion in the July quarter, up 117% from a year earlier. Huang said in August that "the AI infrastructure buildout is at full steam." The Q3 outlook assumes no China data center compute sales. Consensus estimates sit slightly above the guide, at $108.8 billion of revenue and $2.47 of adjusted EPS.
Free cash flow, the cash left after capital spending, was $69.9 billion in the first half of fiscal 2027. Nvidia ended July with $56.6 billion of cash and marketable debt securities against $33.4 billion of debt, after returning about $26.0 billion to shareholders in the quarter.
Is Nvidia stock expensive?
Not against its peers. The Nvidia stock price of $168.89 compares as follows, per Maz Vantage's data as of Nov. 10, 2026:
| Company | Price | Trailing P/E | Market cap | Quant score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia (NVDA) | $168.89 | 21.4 | $4.07T | 4.84 |
| Broadcom (AVGO) | $331.98 | 41.3 | $1.58T | 3.99 |
| AMD (AMD) | $515.21 | 110.9 | $0.84T | 4.92 |
Trailing P/E is price divided by the last 12 months of GAAP earnings per share, $7.91 for Nvidia. Investment gains flatter GAAP profit, but the Nvidia valuation still looks low for a company that doubled revenue in a year.
The quant model marks Valuation down on sales-based measures: as of Nov. 1, Nvidia traded at 16.3 times trailing enterprise value to sales, in the bottom 12% of its sector.
The Nvidia stock forecast from Wall Street remains bullish. The average analyst target is $340.03, about 101% above the Nov. 10 close, with a range of $230 to $515. Of 79 analysts, 60 rate it a Buy or Strong Buy. Several targets predate this week, and cuts have started.
What are the biggest risks?
- Leadership. Huang has run Nvidia since co-founding it in 1993. One fund manager told The Motley Fool there is "nobody who is an obvious successor." Analyst Dan Ives puts the chance of his removal at roughly 15%.
- Legal and political fallout. The board probe, an FBI inquiry that President Trump mentioned, and a class action could bring fines or distraction.
- The AI spending cycle. A pause in big buyers' data center budgets would hit revenue fast, and a beta of 2.2 means the stock swings about twice as much as the market.
Should you buy Nvidia stock before earnings?
Our view: buy, but in stages. At $168.89, about 21 times trailing earnings, investors pay a below-peer multiple for a company with a 63.7% net margin over the last 12 months. Nvidia has guided to 12% sequential revenue growth for the current quarter.
The bull case: this is a governance shock, not a business shock. Gene Munster estimates the stock prices in about a 25% chance Huang leaves. The bear case is that a founder-led company with no clear successor faces weeks of headlines, which a strong quarter may not offset.
This suits long-term investors who can hold through a drawdown, not income investors: the $0.25 quarterly dividend is about 0.6% a year at today's price. Splitting a purchase across the earnings report and the probe's outcome reduces timing risk. See Nvidia's full Maz Vantage report for more.
What would change our view
- Nov. 17, 2026 earnings: revenue below $105.8 billion or gross margin below 73.5%, the low ends of guidance.
- The board's findings: evidence that company data was compromised would move us to Hold.
- A CEO change: an abrupt exit would raise risk; an orderly handover would reduce it.
- Customer spending: cuts to 2027 data center budgets by the largest cloud companies.
Nvidia stock: frequently asked questions
Is NVDA a good stock to buy now?
Nvidia (NVDA) closed at $168.89 on Nov. 10, 2026, down about 9.5% in two sessions on a board probe tied to CEO Jensen Huang. Revenue still rose 106% to $96.2 billion last quarter. At about 21 times trailing earnings, Maz Vantage sees it as a buy for patient, long-term investors, bought in stages.
What is Nvidia's Maz Vantage Quant score?
Nvidia's Maz Vantage Quant score is 4.84 out of 5, a Strong Buy, as of Nov. 1, 2026. That ranks it in the top 4% of 821 US technology stocks. Factor scores are Valuation 2.39, Growth 4.66, Profitability 4.79, Financial Health 4.41 and Momentum 3.58. Valuation is the only factor in the bottom half of the sector.
What is the analyst price target for Nvidia stock?
As of Nov. 10, 2026, the average analyst price target for Nvidia stock is $340.03, about 101% above the $168.89 close. Targets range from $230 to $515. Of 79 analysts, 60 rate Nvidia a Buy or Strong Buy. Wells Fargo cut its target to $300 from $315 on Nov. 10 and kept an Overweight rating.
Why did Nvidia stock drop?
Nvidia stock fell 4.27% on Nov. 9 and 5.47% on Nov. 10, 2026, after its board opened an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. Volume ran at more than three times its three-month average, and a shareholder class action followed.
When does Nvidia report earnings next?
Nvidia reports fiscal third-quarter 2027 results on Nov. 17, 2026. The company has guided to revenue of $108.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, and a gross margin of 74.0%. Consensus estimates call for $108.8 billion of revenue and adjusted earnings of $2.47 per share.
Prices as of 4:00 p.m. ET, Nov. 10, 2026. Last updated Nov. 11, 2026.
Data: Maz Vantage's data and quant model, consensus estimates, and Nvidia's reported figures and earnings releases.
This article is general research, not personal investment advice. It does not consider your goals, timeline or tax situation.
Sources: Nvidia, Q2 fiscal 2027 results (Aug. 26, 2026) and Q1 fiscal 2027 results (May 20, 2026); CNBC, Nvidia stock falls 4% as scrutiny turns to Jensen Huang's affair (Nov. 9, 2026); CNBC, Nvidia sells off for second day (Nov. 10, 2026); The Motley Fool, Stock Market Today, Nov. 10 (Nov. 10, 2026); The Motley Fool, Nvidia Stock Has Wiped Out $1.7 Trillion in Value Since October (Nov. 10, 2026).