Can the AI trade catch a break? Nvidia, Anthropic and CoreWeave may have a say.

By Mark DeCambre

After a bruising stretch for tech stocks, investors face fresh questions about leadership, valuations and the cost of the AI boom. Plus, a Taylor Swift encore for one 72-year-old retiree.

Nvidia's Jensen Huang faces a board investigation into his relationship with a woman suspected of spying for China.

👋🏽Happy Monday! Here's what I'm thinking about this morning: "Friday Night Lights." The movie.

There's a moment when quarterback Mike Winchell tells his coach he feels cursed. Even when his team is winning, he can't shake the feeling that something bad is coming.

I wonder if AI investors can relate. Tech stocks offered a modest bounce on Friday, but the Nasdaq finished the week down more than 3%. And the calendar may not offer much comfort.

Consider what's on tap this week.

Anthropic had been expected to begin pitching its blockbuster IPO this week, according to reports. Now questions about the timing and the lofty valuation are mounting.

Meanwhile, Nvidia's board has launched an investigation following reports that CEO Jensen Huang had a relationship with a woman suspected of spying for China. Nvidia says it has no reason to believe company secrets were compromised.

And if that's not enough, CoreWeave, a poster child for the debt-fueled AI boom, reports earnings Tuesday.

None of this guarantees a further selloff. But if AI investors were hoping for respite, they may have picked the wrong week.

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-- Think you're diversified with the S&P 500? You may be making a bigger AI bet than you realize.

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-- How much in Roth conversions can you do in 2027 with the new tax brackets?

Early indications suggest investors may be willing to momentarily look beyond the week's potential problems and buy.

For example, Taiwan's stock-market benchmarkTW:Y9999 surged nearly 5% Monday, led by chip giant TSMC (TSM). Japan's Nikkei JP:NIK gained more than 2%. One sign that the upbeat vibe isn't universal? South Korea's equity index, the Kospi KR:180721, ended lower.

Against that backdrop, futures for the Dow and S&P 500 were rising, while Nasdaq-100 futures were little changed. Nvidia shares were down sharply in premarket action, with a quarterly earnings report just just eight days away.

Investors appear to still be trying to find their footing. Chip stocks are trading at their cheapest valuations in nearly seven years. But a Bank of America strategist wants to see three things happen before getting enthusiastic about stocks after last week's tech beatdown.

Now the Nvidia (NVDA) board's investigation of Huang gives investors another reason for concern. Will last week's battered chip stocks find buyers - or is more selling ahead?

-- Follow our live market coverage for the latest updates.

Berkshire's $357 billion problem ...

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) (BRK.A) is sitting on enough cash to buy just about any American company and spent $9.6 billion repurchasing its own shares last quarter.

But MarketWatch's Steve Goldstein spotted something else in Berkshire's latest earnings that may warrant attention from investors.

A 5.75% annuity?

A financial adviser has recommended that a soon-to-be retiree put some savings into a five-year annuity paying 5.75%, supposedly with no fees.

Sounds tempting, right? Particularly with markets looking volatile.

But the reader has reservations. Alessandra Malito asks financial planners what might be missing from the adviser's pitch, and what anyone considering an annuity should ask first.

Whose money?

After 30 tears of marriage, her husband inherited $500,000. She'd like to use some of it to fix up their aging house and take a trip to Italy. He's not willing to spend at all at the moment.

Is he being unreasonable? Is she?

The Moneyist weighs in on a couple split by an unexpected windfall.

A Swiftie second act ...

Jerry Coats had fairly conventional plans for retirement after nearly 50 years in education: travel, family time and a little R&R.

Taylor Swift wasn't on the itinerary. But now, at 72, Coats is analyzing the pop star's lyrics with his niece for an audience of 36,000 listeners on their podcast.

It's an unlikely second act for the former college administrator and scholar, writes Angela Moore.

About me

Mark DeCambre is editor in chief of MarketWatch. He has spent more than 20 years covering Wall Street, markets and personal finance, and writes Need to Know, drawing on the award-winning journalism and analysis of the newsroom.

-Mark DeCambre

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