After weeks of uncertainty and anticipation, President Donald Trump's "reciprocal tariff" plan was unveiled after the market closed on Wednesday. When the dust settled on the first trading day after the announcement, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) saw their worst days since 2020, closing the day down 4.8% and 6%, respectively.
Companies that rely on global supply chains to sell their products were hit particularly hard, but even some tech stocks that are less impacted were also dragged down. In times like this, investors should keep their cool and not let emotions get the best of them. It can also be a buying opportunity, as many stocks are now trading for a lower valuation.
Let's take a look at three tech stocks to see if they're worth buying the dip.
1. Nvidia
Reading only the headlines, it would be easy to assume Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) would be one of the companies most affected by tariffs. The semiconductor supply chain is global, with many of Nvidia-designed chips being manufactured outside the United States. However, the White House issued a fact sheet stating that semiconductors would be exempt from the 32% tariffs levied against Taiwan.
So why was Nvidia stock down nearly 8% after the tariff announcement? For starters, the Trump administration said that semiconductors would be addressed separately. So, Nvidia may not be out of the woods yet. It's also unclear at this point what second-order effects there might be as other countries weigh how to respond to Trump's tariffs. Lastly, Nvidia was hit with a rare downgrade this week from one analyst who believes Nvidia's pricing power may have reached its limit.
Despite the uncertainty, Nvidia now trades for 35 times trailing earnings. That may sound expensive, but it is a valuation for this stock that hasn't been seen in more than five years. In the near term, it's not clear at what rate spending on artificial intelligence (AI) will continue. That said, it's hard to believe that Nvidia won't be a long-term winner. After this pullback, there's an even larger margin of safety in buying shares.
2. ASML
Dutch company ASML (NASDAQ: ASML) is a critical player in the semiconductor value chain, as it makes the lithography machines that are necessary to produce the most advanced semiconductors. However, unlike the semiconductor exemption that was included in the tariff announcement, no such carve-out was mentioned for equipment manufacturers. This would subject ASML to the 20% tariffs levied against the European Union.
ASML stock fell nearly 7% on Thursday, bringing the price to its lowest point since late 2023. However, it wasn't just the tariff announcement that has put ASML stock in this predicament. The semiconductor industry is cyclical and it is still working its way out of the latest downturn.
It's important to know that when it comes to the most cutting-edge semiconductors being designed by companies like Nvidia, ASML is the only company in the world that makes the advanced lithography machines required to make these chips a reality. With that monopoly position as the backdrop, it's hard to argue against buying the dip on ASML shares.
3. CoreWeave
A third company that took it on the chin after the tariff announcement is newly minted public company CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV). Shares were down 12% on Thursday, adding another day of extreme volatility for early investors in this company. CoreWeave rents its Nvidia GPUs to its customers for AI applications, making its March 28 initial public offering (IPO) a buzz-worthy event. However, the public market debut did not live up to the hype, with shares ending the first day essentially flat. The stock experienced more volatility in the days after the IPO, culminating in Thursday's tariff-induced fall.
Unlike Nvidia and ASML, CoreWeave has no track record as a public company, and its muted IPO might suggest the market is skeptical about its prospects. In an even more uncertain market following the tariff announcement, investors may be better served taking a wait-and-see approach with CoreWeave stock.
Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $578,035!*
Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of April 5, 2025
Jeff Santoro has positions in ASML and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
