Market sentiment remains fragile as investors shift their focus to the upcoming financial results of artificial intelligence bellwether Nvidia Corp, scheduled for February 25. The semiconductor leader is widely seen as the primary anchor for a U.S. stock market recently unsettled by AI-related growth concerns and political volatility. Nvidia is expected to report earnings-per-share of $1.51 on revenue of $65 billion. This follows a record-breaking performance in late 2025, where the company saw revenue surge 62% year-on-year to $57 billion. Despite these massive figures, the stock has traded sideways in early 2026, currently hovering near $189. Analysts remain bullish, with average 12-month price targets sitting at $255, implying an upside of nearly 39%. The broader market is currently digesting a major legal reversal from the U.S. Supreme Court. On February 20, the Court overturned President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The 6-3 ruling declared that the President lacks the statutory authority to unilaterally impose such taxes, a power reserved for Congress. The judicial decision provided an immediate boost to global trade sentiment, yet market reaction remains mixed. While the ruling removes a major tool for executive trade action, the administration quickly responded by signing a new 10% global duty under different legislative authorities, set to take effect on February 24. Current economic indicators add further pressure to the trading environment. January's Consumer Price Index rose 0.2%, while core PCE inflation reached 3% annually, slightly above the Federal Reserve’s targets. Furthermore, fourth-quarter GDP growth for 2025 slowed to 1.4%—nearly half of the expected rate—largely due to the impact of the recent government shutdown. Volatility in the tech sector has been fueled by new AI tool releases from competitors like Anthropic, which have sparked fears of disruption in knowledge-based industries like finance and software. The Nasdaq Composite recently saw a weekly decline of 0.2% as investors reassessed the sustainability of massive AI capital expenditures, which are projected to reach $200 billion for Amazon and up to $185 billion for Alphabet this year. Investors are looking to Nvidia’s guidance on its new Blackwell chip demand to determine if the AI narrative can regain its momentum. A strong double beat on earnings and revenue is considered essential to restore confidence in high-growth tech valuations and steady the broader indices.