NextFin News - In a significant show of institutional confidence, Whittier Trust Co. and Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. have expanded their positions in NVIDIA Corporation, according to recent 13F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As of February 16, 2026, Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake by 1.7%, bringing its total holdings to 3,348,344 shares valued at approximately $628.2 million. This move solidifies NVIDIA as the fund's largest position, accounting for 7.2% of its total portfolio. Simultaneously, the Nevada-based affiliate boosted its position by 1.6% to 1,317,537 shares, worth $247.2 million, making the semiconductor giant its third-largest holding.
The acquisitions come at a critical juncture for the Santa Clara-based hardware maker. While institutional investors like Whittier are doubling down, corporate insiders have engaged in notable profit-taking. Executive Vice President Ajay Puri recently sold 200,000 shares at an average price of $180.04, totaling $36 million, while Director Harvey Jones offloaded 250,000 shares for $44.3 million. In total, insiders have sold over 1.6 million shares in the last 90 days, though they still retain a 4.17% ownership stake in the company. This divergence between institutional accumulation and insider liquidation reflects a complex market sentiment as NVIDIA navigates its transition into the next phase of the AI infrastructure supercycle.
From an analytical perspective, the increased institutional backing is likely a strategic bet on the upcoming Blackwell architecture rollout. According to MarketBeat, NVIDIA recently reported quarterly revenue of $57.01 billion, a 62.5% year-over-year increase, comfortably beating analyst expectations. The company's net margin remains exceptionally high at 53.01%, underscoring its near-monopolistic pricing power in the high-end AI accelerator market. Analysts from firms such as Wolfe Research and Truist Financial have recently raised their price targets to as high as $275, citing the "positive earnings setup" ahead of major industry events like the GTC conference.
However, the path forward is not without friction. The market is currently processing "negative sentiment" stemming from customer diversification efforts. Arista Networks recently signaled that some deployments are shifting toward AMD solutions for specific workloads, and OpenAI has reportedly explored internal chip alternatives to reduce reliance on a single vendor. Furthermore, geopolitical tensions remain a persistent overhang. Recent hints from U.S. lawmakers regarding tighter restrictions on AI chip sales to China have introduced a layer of regulatory risk that could impact NVIDIA's long-term revenue ceiling in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite these headwinds, the fundamental demand for accelerated computing appears robust. The "AI power crunch" is driving a secondary supercycle in grid infrastructure, benefiting partners like GE Vernova and Vertiv, which in turn supports the continued expansion of the data centers that house NVIDIA's GPUs. With a consensus "Buy" rating and an average price target of $264.20, the investment community largely views the current price—opening at $182.85 today—as an attractive entry point for long-term growth. As U.S. President Trump’s administration continues to emphasize domestic technological leadership, NVIDIA remains the primary beneficiary of the ongoing global arms race in artificial intelligence.
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