** Shares of Nvidia NVDA.O are up 2.1% in afternoon trading Wed, with the artificial intelligence leader boosting the U.S. market along with other tech shares .SPLRCT ahead of its qtrly report due after the closing bell

** The world's most valuable co is seen reporting sharply higher rev and EPS in the qtrly report

** The chipmaker is expected to report Q4 rev of $66.21 bln vs $39.33 bln, and adj EPS of $1.53, vs 89c yr-ago, per LSEG

** Investors are likely to focus on evidence that the chipmaker's profits are growing along with strong capital spending by its largest customers, while signs of risk to Nvidia's long-held leadership are surfacing amid hyperscalers' plans to design their own cheaper AI chips

** In Nov, NVDA CEO Jensen Huang shrugged off concerns about an AI bubble and the co's Q3 saw record data center sales

** Results from NVDA will come as the heavyweight tech sector and other megacap stocks are off to shaky starts in 2026, with shares selling off recently after leading the market higher over the past few years

** "Big tech carried the market over the past three years, and sustained broadening in the market's sector participation is extremely important for the overall health of the bull market," wrote Paul Stanley, chief investment officer, Granite Bay Wealth Management, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in a recent note

** 61 of the 66 analysts rate NVDA a 'buy' or 'strong buy', with a median PT of $250, per LSEG; the stock was last at $196.92

** Including the session move, NVDA has gained 5.5% YTD, outperforming the Nasdaq's .IXIC 0.5% fall in that period

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch )

((caroline.valetkevitch@thomsonreuters.com ))