Nvidia stock rises after Amazon expands AI spending and Korean partnerships

Nvidia shares rose in trading on Friday after a fresh wave of artificial-intelligence investment from Amazon.com and a string of new deals with major South Korean companies.

The twin developments highlight Nvidia’s strengthening position at the center of the global AI infrastructure buildout.

Amazon’s expanding AI investment boosts Nvidia

Nvidia shares gained 2.1% to $207.27 on Friday, recovering from the previous day’s 2% decline.

The move came after Amazon.com signaled a sharp increase in capital spending to meet surging AI demand.

Amazon executives said capital expenditures are expected to reach $34.2 billion in the current quarter and about $125 billion for the full year, with spending projected to rise again in 2026.

Much of that investment is expected to go toward expanding AI capacity through Nvidia hardware.

“We have a very deep relationship with Nvidia. We have for a very long time. And we will for as long as I can foresee the future,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told analysts on the company’s earnings call.

“We are not constrained in any way in buying Nvidia, and I expect that we'll continue to buy more Nvidia both next year and in the future.”

The comments add to a growing chorus from major cloud-computing firms, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Oracle, all emphasizing that demand for AI processing power continues to outstrip supply.

Nvidia, which dominates the market for graphics-processing units (GPUs) used in AI applications, remains a key beneficiary of this industry-wide investment surge.

Nvidia deepens ties with South Korean industry

While demand from US tech giants drives much of Nvidia’s growth, the company is also expanding its footprint in Asia.

On Friday, Nvidia announced a series of partnerships with major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and SK Telecom.

CEO Jensen Huang, currently visiting South Korea, announced it will supply more than 260,000 of Nvidia’s new Blackwell AI chips to the country’s government and leading corporations.

The initiative aims to bolster South Korea’s AI infrastructure and advance its ambitions to become a regional hub for artificial intelligence.

According to Nvidia, about 50,000 chips will go to a national AI computing center, while Samsung, SK Group, and Hyundai are each expected to receive up to 50,000 chips for smart manufacturing and advanced automation projects.

Naver, the country’s largest internet company, plans to purchase roughly 60,000 chips to expand its cloud and AI services.

Among the announced initiatives, Samsung will build a “megafactory” equipped with more than 50,000 Nvidia GPUs to support its semiconductor, mobile, and robotics production lines.

Strategic shift amid global trade challenges

Huang’s visit included meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and industry leaders during the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, underscoring Nvidia’s growing strategic partnerships in Asia.

Analysts say the deal reflects Nvidia’s effort to diversify its customer base beyond China, where US export restrictions have limited chip sales.

The collaboration also strengthens South Korea’s position in the global AI race.

By scaling compute capacity across public and private sectors, the country aims to accelerate its development of next-generation AI models and digital industries.

Other semiconductor stocks traded mixed on Friday, with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) up 2% and Broadcom trading almost unchanged from the previous day.

Nvidia’s latest moves, strengthened by Amazon’s capital commitment and its expanding Asian partnerships, underline the company’s central role in the ongoing global competition to build AI infrastructure and computing power.