In 1999, a small graphics chipmaker called Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) went public at $12 per share. Today, that same company stands as the world's most valuable semiconductor giant. A modest $500 investment at Nvidia's IPO would have mushroomed into an astounding $1.

It’s a complicated time for Nvidia (NVDA) as the company moves on from the recent GTC (GPU Technology Conference) week. Shares surged yesterday as a rally swept over the market, but the momentum seems to have subsided since then.

The chipmaker NVIDIA held its annual conference in Silicon Valley this week. Among the major announcements: it chose Boston to be the site of its first-ever research center for quantum computing, opening later this year.