Nvidia Corp.'s stock, symbolized as $NVDA, has experienced a significant shift in investor behavior following a 17% drop in a single day, which erased approximately $590 billion from the company's market capitalization. The decline was triggered by concerns over DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup claiming high performance at a lower cost. Historically, Nvidia investors have been quick to buy the stock during dips, but the mood has changed since the DeepSeek-driven rout. Despite key clients like Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft planning a combined capital expenditure of $300 billion this year, Nvidia's shares have not rebounded to their January peak, remaining more than 12% below that level. The cautious investor sentiment is evident as buyers did not step in until the stock had fallen over 21% from its peak, a rare occurrence in recent years. This situation sets a different tone ahead of Nvidia's earnings report scheduled for February 26, with investors showing increased skepticism about the company's growth prospects amidst fears of a slowdown in AI spending. Nvidia is expected to report a revenue growth of 73%, down from 94% in the previous quarter and significantly lower than the 265% growth in the same quarter last year.