Instant View: Nvidia is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, WSJ reports

Nvidia's stock experienced a sharp decline on November 11 as investors pondered the future of the company without CEO Jensen Huang. The stock began its drop in post-market trading following reports by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times reported a relationship between Huang and a direct report, while the Wall Street Journal revealed that the company's board is preparing to remove Huang, who admitted to having a separate affair with a woman allegedly linked to Chinese intelligence.

Michael O'Rourke, chief market strategist at Jonestrading, expressed concern about the situation, stating that "It is going to be a very challenging situation." O'Rourke noted that Huang had projected 70% sales growth for the year 2026, and with the new management changes, his successor will face a tough year putting out fires and cleaning up messes.

O'Rourke also mentioned that if the allegations are confirmed by an independent investigation, the board is likely to remove Huang, which would be in line with current corporate governance standards. The Wall Street Journal quoted SLC Management's Dec Mullarkey, who said, "It will be interesting to see how Nvidia handles next week's earnings call. Their CFO can handle the numbers, but markets will want to know more about the changes to governance."

Mullarkey believed that it is difficult to imagine Huang stepping down but also hard to imagine him staying on. He added, "I think the board will ultimately be forced to push him out and establish a more traditional organizational structure. The gap in judgment may be hard to repair with critical clients."

Nvidia is set to report its quarterly results on November 17. Analysts are eager to see how the company will address the governance issues and whether it can maintain investor confidence amid growing concerns about the strength and longevity of the artificial intelligence trade.