Nvidia (NVDA)

Shares of US chipmaker Nvidia rose in pre-market trading as the company prepares to unveil its next big growth driver: robotics.

Best known for powering the AI boom through its cutting-edge infrastructure, Nvidia is set to launch its latest generation of compact computers designed for humanoid robots, dubbed Jetson Thor, in the first half of 2025.

“The ChatGPT moment for physical AI and robotics is around the corner,” Deepu Talla, Nvidia’s vice-president of robotics, told the Financial Times, adding that he believed the market had reached a “tipping point”.

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This move is the latest step in Nvidia's long-term strategy to expand beyond traditional markets. While the company doesn’t plan to directly compete with robotics giants like Tesla, it aims to support the "hundreds of thousands" of robot manufacturers globally by providing the essential hardware that powers their creations.

Boeing (BA)

Shares in Boeing were down by 4.5% in pre-market trading as South Korea announced that it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 planes in the country after a Jeju Air (089590.KS) passenger jet crashed on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport planned to conduct the special inspection of all B737-800 planes, operated mostly by low-cost domestic airlines. Jeju Air operates the largest fleet, with 39 B737-800 planes in service.

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The Jeju Air B737-800 crashed while landing at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometres southwest of Seoul, on Sunday.

The crash comes amid Boeing’s ongoing challenges, including a 30% stock decline in 2024 and production restrictions imposed by federal regulators following January’s Alaska Airlines door plug incident on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Tesla (TSLA)

Shares in Tesla dropped 5% on Friday and were around 2% lower in pre-market trading on Monday as the electric car maker’s stock continues to be closely tied to the actions and statements of its billionaire founder Elon Musk.

Musk, who has been embroiled in a series of controversial remarks recently, claimed that he would "go to war" with the MAGA movement over skilled migrant visas. He also vowed to kick out any "hateful, unrepentant racists," marking the latest in a series of provocative statements.

His most recent outburst was in response to criticism of the H-1B visa programme, which allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers. "Take a big step back," Musk said, as he launched an attack on critics of the programme.