February 25th Will Be a Make or Break Day for NVDL

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By Austin Smith Published
February 25th Will Be a Make or Break Day for NVDL

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NVDL offers a straightforward but unforgiving proposition: double Nvidia’s daily return, every day. Since launching in December 2022, it has attracted $4.7 billion in assets by amplifying the defining AI infrastructure stock. Shares sit around $79, down nearly 10% year to date after NVDA slipped 4.5% through mid-January. That divergence matters. NVDL didn’t deliver exactly double NVDA’s decline because daily leverage compounds, a mechanical reality that erodes returns when the underlying stock swings sideways or trends down.

For anyone holding or considering NVDL, the most important factor to watch is Nvidia’s ability to sustain revenue growth above 50% annually. That threshold matters because NVDA’s valuation premium, a forward price-to-earnings ratio around 24, depends on maintaining hypergrowth in data center demand. The company posted 62.5% revenue growth year over year in its most recent quarter ending October 2025, reaching $57 billion in sales. That pace is decelerating from the triple-digit growth rates seen throughout fiscal 2025. If quarterly revenue growth drops below 40%, expect the stock to reprice lower, and NVDL to magnify that move violently.

Where Data Center Demand Goes, NVDL Follows

Track Nvidia’s quarterly earnings releases, which occur roughly every three months. The next report lands February 25, 2026, after market close. Pay attention to three figures: data center revenue growth, gross margin trajectory, and management’s guidance for the following quarter. Data center sales represent over 80% of total revenue, and any sign of slowing hyperscaler spending from Microsoft, Amazon, or Google will hit the stock hard. Gross margin, currently above 75%, reflects Nvidia’s pricing power. If that figure compresses due to competitive pressure from custom AI chips, it signals eroding dominance.

Daily Reset Risk Is Not Theoretical

NVDL resets its leverage every day, which means it doesn’t deliver double NVDA’s return over longer periods. In volatile or sideways markets, daily compounding works against you. NVDA’s RSI currently sits at 40.4, down from 51.8 just four days earlier, signaling weakening momentum without reaching oversold territory below 30. If NVDA continues chopping sideways while investors wait for the next earnings catalyst, NVDL will underperform a simple 2x calculation due to volatility decay. This isn’t a flaw, it’s how daily leveraged products work.

Consider SOXL for Diversification

Direxion’s SOXL offers 3x daily leverage on the broader semiconductor sector through the ICE Semiconductor Index, which includes NVDA but also TSMC, Broadcom, and AMD. While more aggressive, it spreads single-stock risk across the chip industry. If you’re concerned about Nvidia-specific execution risk, like supply constraints or competitive threats from custom silicon, SOXL provides sector exposure without total dependence on one company’s quarterly performance.

Watch Nvidia’s data center revenue growth and NVDL’s daily compounding behavior. Those two factors will determine whether this ETF continues amplifying gains or eroding capital through volatility.

Photo of Austin Smith, PhD, MD, CFA
About the Author Austin Smith, PhD, MD, CFA →

Austin Smith is a financial publisher with over two decades of experience as an investor, analyst, and advisor. He covers stocks, ETFs, Artificial intelligence and personal finance for 24/7 Wall St. Previously, he spent over a decade at The Motley Fool as a senior editor for Fool.com, portfolio advisor for Millionacres, and launched The Ascent to help reader take control of their personal finances.

His work has been featured on Fool.com, NPR, CNBC, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, AOL, Marketwatch, and many other publications. He is as an advisor to private companies, and co-hosts The AI Investor Podcast with Eric Bleeker. 

When not looking for investment opportunities, he can be found skiing, running, or playing soccer with his children. Learn more about Austin's investment approach here.

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