MidnightTrader Analyst Play: Nvidia Corporation

Nvidia (NVDA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) closed up on Thursday 2.5% at 24.85, just paring the 3.5% pre-market gain, to around 25.09, hit after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the stock to Buy from Neutral.

NVDA tends to favor regular session narrowing of its pre-market analyst-driven movement, having cut back its early day performance by the regular session close in five of the last seven rating changes we've tracked, including today.

6/5/08 Pre-Market: +3.5% at 25.09; 6/5/08 Regular Session: +2.5% at 24.85 - Goldman Sachs raises rating to Buy vs Neutral.

1/15/08 Pre-Market: -3.8%; 1/15/08 Regular Session: -6.5% - Deutsche Bank cuts rating to Hold vs. Buy.

10/29/07 Pre-Market: -3.8%; 10/29/07 Regular Session: -2.9% - Lehman downgrade to Equalweight from Overweight.

10/11/07 Pre-Market: -1%; 10/11/07 Regular Session: -5% - ThinkEquity downgrades to Accumulate from Buy.

9/25/07 Pre-Market: -1%; 9/25/07 Regular Session: +1% - UBS initiates with Neutral rating.

6/25/07 Pre-Market: -2.8%; 6/25/07 Regular Session: -2.4% - Goldman Sachs downgrade to Neutral from Buy.

6/21/07 Pre-Market: +9%; 6/21/07 Regular Session: +8.7% - Lehman Bros. upgrade to Overweight from Equalweight.

Brooks McFeely is widely regarded as the leading expert on extended-hours trading. He is a Managing Partner for Brochet Capital Partners, LP and the founder of Midnight Trader, Inc. (www.midnighttrader.com), the leading provider of pre-market and after-hours trading analysis and news to retail and institutional investors.