Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been the stock everyone is talking about for quite some time -- and for good reason. The company dominates the artificial intelligence (AI) chip niche with a market share of about 80%, and this has translated into record earnings. Even better, Nvidia's focus on innovation means its dominance is likely to last.

Analysts are expecting Nvidia stock to head higher in the next 12 months. The company's solid moat in the AI chip market could ensure healthy levels of growth in the coming year. Nvidia's improving earnings projections indicate that the chipmaker could indeed head higher and deliver robust gains over the next year.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve trimmed interest rates aggressively and penciled in further rate cuts by the end of the year. It slashed the benchmark interest rate by a half-point to 4.75-5% for the first time since March 2020.

The high-flying AI chip superstar seemed to run out of gas in the fiscal 2025 second-quarter earnings report it released on Aug. 28. While the company beat estimates on the top and bottom lines, the differences were narrower than investors were used to, and guidance was also less impressive than some had hoped.