Nvidia CEO Search: The Board Is Still Choosing a Search Firm Before Earnings
The Nvidia CEO search has barely begun. On Friday 13 November 2026, Nvidia's board said it was still selecting a search firm for the role. It added that it had not formally engaged any potential candidates, in a statement reported by CNBC and quoted by Unite.AI.
That is the backdrop for Nvidia earnings on Tuesday 17 November. Colette Kress, the chief financial officer, now runs the company as interim CEO. NVDA stock closed Friday at $162.85, down 12.75% on the week, according to StockAnalysis.
The information in this article is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Table of Contents
- Nvidia CEO Search: What the Board Said on Friday
- Why Did Jensen Huang Resign? The Timeline
- Who Is Colette Kress, Nvidia's Interim CEO?
- Nvidia CEO Candidates: Names in the Speculation
- NVDA Stock: How the Shares Reacted
- Nvidia Earnings on 17 November: What to Expect
- Nvidia Price Target Cuts After the Resignation
- Nvidia Technical Analysis: Key Levels
- Illustrative Scenarios for Earnings Week
- Peers and the Wider Market
- Key Dates for Nvidia Investors
- Risks to Watch
- What Happens to a Stock When a CEO Resigns?
- How Traders Often Approach Nvidia Earnings Week
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Has Nvidia started its CEO search?
- Who is Nvidia's interim CEO?
- When are Nvidia's next earnings?
- Who are the reported Nvidia CEO candidates?
- Why did Jensen Huang resign?
- How far has NVDA stock fallen from its record?
- What implied move do options show for Nvidia earnings?
- Can I practise trading Nvidia without real money?
Risk warning: The value of shares can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This article is general information and should not be treated as investment advice.
Nvidia CEO Search: What the Board Said on Friday
The board's message was short. It is still at the first step of a formal succession process. The search firm itself has yet to be chosen, as Briefs.co reported from the CNBC statement.
The Nvidia Board Statement in Three Lines
The Nvidia board statement of 13 November contained three key sentences, as quoted by Briefs.co.
Source: Briefs.co, quoting the board statement reported by CNBC, 13 November 2026.
The word "formally" matters. On the same day, the Financial Times reported that directors had approached Arm chief executive Rene Haas, citing people familiar with the matter. Unite.AI noted that the board's wording leaves room between a formal engagement and an informal approach. Nvidia has not confirmed any approach.
Who Runs Nvidia Now
Huang resigned as president and CEO on Thursday 12 November. He also left the board. The board then set up an interim structure, as described by Yahoo Finance.
Source: Unite.AI, 13 November 2026 and Al Jazeera, 12 November 2026.
Chair Harvey Jones spoke in the board's statement of 12 November, as reported by WSVN (CNN). He expects the "product roadmap to continue without interruption". Jones is the first chair in Nvidia's history.
Why Did Jensen Huang Resign? The Timeline
The search exists because events moved very fast. Within five days, Huang went from public support by the board to resignation. The table sets out the main steps. It draws on company and media reports.
Sources: NVIDIA board statement, 8 November 2026, Fortune, The Next Web, Fortune and Briefs.co.
The Nvidia Independent Investigation
The Nvidia independent investigation is run by a committee of independent directors with outside counsel. In its statement of 8 November, the NVIDIA board said it had seen nothing to suggest national security or company secrets were compromised.
The allegations around a business contact of Huang's remain reports citing US officials. China has rejected them. Al Jazeera noted that there was nothing established to show Huang knowingly assisted Beijing. The outcome of the investigation has not been published.
Governance Under the Spotlight
Investors had questioned the board's structure for some time. The Next Web and Fortune listed several points.
Source: The Next Web and Fortune, 11 November 2026.
Huang had told Bloomberg he hoped his successor already worked at Nvidia, according to The Next Web. A formal Nvidia CEO succession plan was never made public.
Who Is Colette Kress, Nvidia's Interim CEO?
Who is Colette Kress? She joined Nvidia as CFO in September 2013. She had spent almost 25 years in technology finance roles before that. Her earlier employers include Cisco and Microsoft, according to Unite.AI.
Source: Al Jazeera, 12 November 2026 and Unite.AI. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
Kress also issued a statement on 12 November. She said Nvidia would keep "advancing the work that has made Nvidia a leader in accelerated computing and AI", as reported by Yahoo Finance.
How Analysts Reacted to the Interim CEO
Views on Kress were mixed. Fox Business collected several reactions on 12 November.
Source: Fox Business, 12 November 2026.
Could Kress Become the Permanent CEO?
The board will consider internal and external candidates, according to Unite.AI. Kress is an internal executive, so she could be considered. The board has not said whether she wants the job. Her first test is the Nvidia earnings call on 17 November.
Nvidia CEO Candidates: Names in the Speculation
The board called talk of individual names premature. Media and analysts have still floated several. None has been confirmed by Nvidia.
Source: Al Jazeera, Unite.AI and Briefs.co.
Al Jazeera reported there was nothing to indicate that Cook is interested. Haas joined Arm in 2013 after seven years at Nvidia, according to Unite.AI.
Internal or External CEO for Nvidia?
Whether the board picks an insider or an outsider may shape how markets read the outcome. The table sets out general arguments often raised in succession debates. It is illustrative.
Illustrative comparison, prepared by the author.
What Is a CEO Search Firm?
What is a CEO search firm? It is an executive recruiter hired by a board. It helps define the role, builds a list of candidates and runs first approaches. At Nvidia, even this step had not been completed by Friday, according to Unite.AI.
How long could the search take? Nvidia has not given a timetable. A search usually moves through several stages, and the board must still choose the recruiter first.
- The board selects a search firm.
- The board and the firm agree the profile of the role.
- The firm builds a long list and then a short list.
- Directors interview finalists.
- The board announces an appointment.
NVDA Stock: How the Shares Reacted
Nvidia shares fell in every session last week except Wednesday. The widest intraday swing came on the day of the resignation, as the table shows.
Source: StockAnalysis, NVDA price history, daily data to 13 November 2026. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
On 12 November, the intraday low of $148.80 was 14.35% below the previous close. The shares then recovered much of that fall during the session. After the close on 11 November, they had dropped 8% in after-hours trade, according to StockAnalysis.
Volume and Market Value
Trading was heavy. The 20-day average volume was 208.8m shares, according to StockAnalysis statistics. Volume on 12 November was about 3.6x that average. On 13 November it was about 1.8x.
Nvidia's market value was about $3.93 trillion at Friday's close. That is based on 24.15bn shares outstanding. Friday's fall pushed Nvidia's market value below $4 trillion, as Unite.AI noted.
Nvidia Stock History: Five Full Years
The recent fall needs context. The shares closed 2025 at $186.50, according to FourWeekMBA. They hit a record close of $239.24 on 6 October 2026. Friday's close was about 32% below that record and 12.68% below the 2025 year-end level.
Source: CompaniesMarketCap, NVIDIA stock price history, calendar years 2021 to 2025 and 2026 to date. Annual changes are before taxes and costs, which may vary. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
The five-year record shows large swings in both directions. The 2022 fall of more than 51% is a reminder that steep drawdowns have happened before. More background sits in our Nvidia stock forecast guide.
Valuation After the Sell-Off
The fall has lowered valuation multiples. Readers new to these ratios can see our explainer on the price-to-earnings ratio.
Source: StockAnalysis, NVDA statistics, data as of 13 to 14 November 2026. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
A beta of 2.25 suggests the shares have tended to move more than the wider market over the measured period. That cuts both ways.
Nvidia Earnings on 17 November: What to Expect
Nvidia confirmed the date in its notice of 28 October. The fiscal quarter ended on 25 October 2026.
Nvidia Earnings Time in the UK and the US
Source: NVIDIA Investor Relations, 28 October 2026. UK times use GMT.
The release lands after the US close. That means the first price reaction usually shows in after-hours trade. The regular session follows on Wednesday 18 November.
Nvidia Q3 Earnings Expectations
Nvidia's own outlook from August set the bar. Consensus estimates sit slightly above it, according to MarketPulse.
Source: NVIDIA Q2 FY2027 results release and MarketPulse, 11 November 2026. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.
The guided range runs from $105.84bn to $110.16bn. The consensus figure sits about 0.8% above the midpoint. A Tradestie preview put full-year EPS estimates at $9.32.
The Q2 Starting Point
Source: NVIDIA results release via MFN, 26 August 2026. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
In that release, Huang said "AI has reached its inflection point", according to the company release. Tuesday's call is set to be the first since his resignation.
Questions the Call May Answer
- Investors may listen for any update on the search firm.
- The Q4 outlook may draw more attention than the Q3 numbers.
- Analysts may ask whether customer orders changed after the resignation.
- Margins near 74% may test confidence in pricing power.
- Comments on China demand may matter for the outlook.
The CEO vacancy adds a second question to Tuesday's results. Markets may weigh the numbers and the Q4 outlook against how long the Nvidia leadership uncertainty lasts.
Nvidia Q4 guidance expectations are high. Wells Fargo expects Q4 revenue of $126.4bn against a Street figure of $124.3bn, according to INDmoney. A softer outlook would compare with that bar.
Nvidia Price Target Cuts After the Resignation
Several banks lowered targets during the week. Most kept positive ratings, as the table shows. Each target reflects one firm's view at one date.
Sources: INDmoney, The National and StockAnalysis. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Each Nvidia price target cut in the table came before the resignation was confirmed on 12 November. Some targets may move again after Tuesday. Before Huang left, Dan Ives said Nvidia could be worth 25% to 30% less without him, according to The National. This was one analyst's opinion, not a measured outcome.
Nvidia Technical Analysis: Key Levels
The chart picture has weakened. The shares trade below both the 50-day and the 200-day moving averages. The levels below come from public sources with dates.
Sources: MarketPulse, StockAnalysis statistics, StockAnalysis history and FourWeekMBA. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
NVDA Stock Support Levels
NVDA stock support levels cluster between $148 and $153. MarketPulse flags $152.90. The area near $153 also matches the November 2024 high, according to investingLive. Below that, MarketPulse points to $129.16.
On the upside, MarketPulse said a daily close above $201.66 would void its bearish view, according to its 11 November preview. The 50-day average near $214.65 sits above that.
Is Nvidia Stock Oversold?
Is Nvidia stock oversold? The 14-day RSI stood at 24.86 at the 13 November close, according to StockAnalysis. Readings below 30 are often described as oversold. An oversold reading can last for some time during a strong downtrend.
Options Point to a Large Earnings Move
Source: MarketPulse, 11 November 2026. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.
An implied move is the options market's estimate. The real move can be larger or smaller. A Tradestie preview of 10 November gave a much lower figure of about 4.5%, according to Tradestie.
Illustrative Scenarios for Earnings Week
The scenarios below are illustrative. They set out possible market reactions to different outcomes. They are not predictions.
Illustrative scenarios based on levels from MarketPulse and Tradestie. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Each path could fail. A strong quarter may not offset fresh leadership news. A weak quarter may already be partly priced in after the recent fall.
Peers and the Wider Market
Nvidia's drop came during a wider AI-chip sell-off. The shares fell 9.26% on 5 November, before the scandal broke, according to Gotrade.
Source: FourWeekMBA, 11 November 2026. Changes are before taxes and costs, which may vary. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
This year, the Nvidia vs AMD stock comparison shows a wide gap. Rival gains may suggest that some money has rotated between chip names.
How Nvidia Earnings Can Move the Nasdaq 100
Nvidia is a member of the Nasdaq-100 and the S&P 500. It joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in November 2024, replacing Intel, according to NBC News. Its results can therefore move these benchmarks. Traders who follow index CFDs can find them on our indices page.
The Fed Backdrop
Higher interest rates can weigh on technology shares with high valuations. The Fed held its target range at 3.75% to 4.00% on 28 October, according to the FOMC statement. Two members preferred a hike.
After that meeting, CME FedWatch implied 78% odds of a December hike, according to StockAnalysis. The 10-year Treasury yield was 5.03% on 28 October.
Key Dates for Nvidia Investors
Sources: Thrive in Markets calendar, NVIDIA IR and Federal Reserve calendar. Times may change.
The link between the FOMC minutes and Nvidia is indirect. Rate expectations shape how much investors pay for future earnings. Our economic calendar lists release times.
Risks to Watch
Some risks concern leadership. Others concern legal matters and the market.
- The CEO role remains vacant, and the search firm has yet to be chosen.
- The interim CEO also remains CFO.
- The outcome of the independent investigation is unknown.
- A proposed shareholder class action alleges that Nvidia and Huang misled investors.
- Lawmakers have called for answers on links to China.
- Analysts say Huang's industry relationships may be hard to replace.
- High volatility, with a beta of 2.25, can magnify moves in both directions.
Sources for the legal and political points are Fortune and Al Jazeera. The point on relationships comes from Data Center Knowledge.
Upside and Downside Factors
Source: NVIDIA results release and StockAnalysis. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
What Happens to a Stock When a CEO Resigns?
The reaction depends on the reason and the plan. A sudden exit without a named successor often brings higher volatility. A clear succession plan can calm markets over time. At Nvidia, the founder left while the board was still choosing a recruiter.
AI Business noted that Nvidia's annual report already lists succession planning as a risk. Our guide to the largest Nvidia shareholders explains who holds the stock.
How Traders Often Approach Nvidia Earnings Week
Earnings weeks bring sharp moves. Traders often prepare in a few ways.
- Many traders check the exact release time before the session.
- Some traders reduce their market exposure ahead of results.
- Stop-loss orders are a common way to manage risk, though gaps can skip past them.
- Traders often compare the reported numbers with consensus and with the outlook.
- Some wait for the regular session after the release.
Our earlier trading idea for Nvidia's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings shows how a past report was covered. Risk management around earnings matters more when the implied move is near 10%.
How to Trade Nvidia: CFD or Share
There are two common ways to gain exposure. Admirals offers a CFD on NVIDIA Corp. (#NVDA). The NVIDIA Corp. share (NVDA) is also listed. More detail on contracts sits on our stock CFDs page.
General comparison. Costs and conditions depend on the account and the client's country.
The steps to open an account are usually these.
- Choose an account type.
- Complete the identity checks and other onboarding requirements.
- Fund the account.
- Search for the instrument on the platform.
A demo account uses virtual funds. Results may differ from live trading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Nvidia started its CEO search?
The board said on 13 November that it was still selecting a search firm and had not formally engaged candidates.
Who is Nvidia's interim CEO?
Colette Kress, Nvidia's chief financial officer since 2013, became interim CEO on 12 November and keeps her finance role.
When are Nvidia's next earnings?
Nvidia reports third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Tuesday 17 November, around 4:20 p.m. ET, which is 21:20 UK time.
Who are the reported Nvidia CEO candidates?
Media reports and analysts have mentioned Rene Haas of Arm, plus internal leaders such as Ian Buck. None is confirmed.
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
He resigned on 12 November after a week of reports about his personal conduct and an independent board investigation.
How far has NVDA stock fallen from its record?
Shares closed at $162.85 on 13 November, about 32% below the record close of 6 October 2026.
What implied move do options show for Nvidia earnings?
MarketPulse put the options-implied move near 10.6% either way on 11 November, against a 7.8% ten-year average.
Can I practise trading Nvidia without real money?
A demo account uses virtual funds, so you can practise, but results may differ from live trading.
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