The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that Nvidia investors have typically rushed to buy the stock on any dips. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that the mood, however, since the DeepSeek-driven rout has been different, signalling that fears of a slowdown in artificial intelligence spending are not going away. Nvidia shares slumped 17 per cent in a single day, erasing about $590-billion from the company's market cap, after the Chinese AI start-up claimed high performance at a lower cost (all figures U.S.). The stock has since regained some ground, but it is still more than 12 per cent below its January record high. That is despite key customers Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms and Microsoft planning a combined $300-billion in capital expenditures this year. Dip buyers entered only after Nvidia shares dropped over 21 per cent from their peak, indicating increased investor caution about AI spending, especially after DeepSeek claimed to use fewer chips for its AI model. The negative sentiment has changed the outlook for Nvidia's earnings report on Feb. 26. Unlike previous quarters where shares were at record highs, Nvidia now needs to reassure doubting investors about the stock's potential for growth.