Nvidia (NVDA) gains as U.S. reportedly clears H200 chip sales to 10 Chinese firms

Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) shares rose 4.4% to a record $235.75 on May 15, 2026, after reports said the U.S. approved sales of its H200 artificial intelligence chips to 10 Chinese companies, including Alibaba (BABA), Tencent and Lenovo. Barron’s reported analysts see the move as strategically more important than its near-term revenue impact, arguing Washington may be shifting from a broad blockade toward controlled engagement that keeps China’s AI ecosystem tied to U.S. hardware and Nvidia’s CUDA software platform. The Trump administration approved limited H200 exports to China in December 2025 under national security conditions, including U.S. inspections and a 25% government share of related sales. Nvidia said in February it had approval to ship small volumes to some Chinese customers but had not recognized revenue under the program and was unsure whether China would allow imports. Nvidia and the White House did not comment on the latest report.