Michael MacGillivray, a 25-year-old from Michigan, invested thousands in Nvidia, capitalizing on the widespread belief that the company is central to the burgeoning artificial intelligence sector. His actions mirror a trend seen among retail investors, who have collectively funneled nearly $30 billion into Nvidia stocks in 2024, making it the most popular equity among these investors up to December 17, 2024. This trend has resulted in Nvidia surpassing the investment inflow to the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and is set to replace Tesla as the most-bought stock. Nvidia's shares have surged over 180% this year, boosting the company into the elite group with a market capitalization exceeding $3 trillion, making it the second-most valuable in the U. S. The significant retail activity has increased Nvidia's average portfolio presence from 5. 5% to over 10%. Despite more moderate growth recently, Nvidia retains strong appeal, with individual investors like Prajeet Tripathy expressing long-term confidence in the company's AI leadership. Retail ownership has contributed to significant stock price fluctuations, even with Nvidia's earnings sometimes falling short of driving continued price growth.

The stock’s rising trend even spilled into social activities, with a noteworthy watch party coinciding with their earnings report. Despite this, investor enthusiasm has not driven the price-to-earnings multiple as high as it has for Tesla and Palantir. Looking forward, Palantir is gaining traction among retail investors; its stock saw substantial growth in 2024, rivaling Nissan in rising performance. This has been validated by Palantir CEO Alex Karp acknowledging investor support. Investors like Genevieve Khoury, who has gained confidence from her successful Nvidia investment, are drawn to potential growth opportunities, such as Palantir, hoping to replicate Nvidia-like success.