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Picture being told that the poster child of the artificial-intelligence boom trades at the same valuation as the broad market. Not long ago, that would have sounded absurd. Yet, that’s precisely where Nvidia Corp. NVDA stands today.
The world’s biggest semiconductor company has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just above 20, the lowest reading since December 2018.
The forward P/E measures how much investors pay today for every dollar of profit a company is expected to earn over the next twelve months. A lower number means the stock is cheaper against those expected earnings.
Measured against the S&P 500, the premium has vanished entirely.
For the first time in roughly a decade, Nvidia trades at almost the same forward earnings multiple as the S&P 500, despite remaining the undisputed leader of the AI infrastructure boom.
The reason isn’t that earnings expectations collapsed.
Quite the opposite.
Nvidia Lags Semiconductor Sector
Nvidia’s stock has gained only about 7% this year through early July, badly lagging a semiconductor sector that has surged nearly 70%, as measured by the iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund SOXX.
Meanwhile, Wall Street has quietly become even more optimistic about Nvidia’s profit outlook.
Consensus earnings estimates for the next 12 months have climbed from $7.57 per share at the start of 2026 to $8.99 today, an increase of nearly 19%.
In other words, earnings kept moving higher while the stock largely stood still.
That combination compressed Nvidia’s valuation to levels few investors would have imagined just months ago.
Bank of America Reiterates Buy on NVDA, Sees Nearly 70% Upside
Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and a $350 price objective on July 7, about 72% above Monday’s close of $203.28.
Analyst Vivek Arya indicated that at today’s valuation, the market is implicitly pricing a 30%–35% cut to Nvidia’s 2027 and 2028 earnings, a headwind he calls unjustified.
The analyst highlighted that AI demand continues to accelerate rather than cool.
Global token usage has continued growing by roughly 9% per week since June, hyperscale cloud providers are committing hundreds of billions of dollars to AI infrastructure, and Bank of America still expects AI data-center spending to exceed $1.7 trillion annually by 2030.
Against that backdrop, Arya believes Nvidia remains “a unique, durable growth franchise,” arguing that the current valuation gap reflects market sentiment far more than deteriorating fundamentals.
Bank of America still expects Nvidia to control roughly 65%–70% of the global AI accelerator market through the end of the decade, even as competitors gain ground.
If that outlook proves correct, investors today are paying an S&P 500 multiple for a company that still dominates the fastest-growing segment of the technology industry.
Where Does Wall Street Stand?
According to Benzinga Analyst Ratings, the consensus on Nvidia is a Buy, with an average price target of $309.75. That implies roughly 52% upside from Friday’s close of $203.28, with individual targets running from a low of $215 to a Street-high $500.
The recent flow of updates has leaned higher, and none of the last six actions was a downgrade.
KeyBanc’s mid-July increase to $330 and Tigress Financial’s $425 Strong Buy target suggest some analysts believe the recent valuation compression has created an opportunity rather than a warning sign.
China Renaissance also initiated coverage with a Buy rating in June, reinforcing the broadly constructive view.
That leaves investors with an unusual disconnect.
Nvidia is trading at its lowest forward earnings multiple in years, yet analysts continue to lift earnings forecasts, maintain bullish ratings, and publish price targets that imply substantial upside.
The market is valuing Nvidia like an average large-cap stock.
Wall Street is still valuing it like the company leading the biggest technology investment cycle in decades.
The next few quarters will determine which side is right.
Image: Shutterstock
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
This article Nvidia Stock Hasn't Been This Cheap In 10 Years: Is This A Screaming Buy? originally appeared on Benzinga.com.
